SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- First-year midfielder Emi Bisson made a splashy collegiate debut with six goals and an assist to lead the Mount Holyoke College lacrosse team to a 12-5 victory over Thomas College on Thursday night at the MHC Turf & Track, in the 2023 season opener for both teams.
Mount Holyoke head coach Annie O'Byrne '13 got the victory in her first game coaching at her alma mater, in the Lyons' first win since March 8, 2022.
Sophomore captain Ella Phillips (Sandwich, Mass.) scored a career-high three goals to go with five caused turnovers and five ground balls for Mount Holyoke, while sophomore captain Madison Millyan (Winchester, Mass.) added two goals and two assists. Junior captain Hannah Bisson (South Hadley, Mass.) pitched in with one goal and one assist.
Molly Littlefield, Sage Brown, Samantha Snow, Alia Chasse and Emily Wallingford scored goals for Thomas (0-1), while Anna Chadwick posted seven draw controls, five ground balls, and three caused turnovers.
Emi Bisson (Chester, Conn.) wasted no time making her presence known, driving in for an unassisted goal on her first shot, just 22 seconds into the game. She tallied five goals in the first 18 minutes of the game, which combined with Phillips' first score gave the Lyons a 6-0 lead before Thomas could get on the scoreboard.
Littlefield scored unassisted with 8:48 to go in the second quarter, and Thomas finished the half with a 3-1 run to make it a 7-3 game at the break. Chasse scored on the game's first assist, a dish from Scarlett Raymond-Ayer, and Snow scored unassisted in the final minute of the half.
Emi Bisson helped the Lyons reassert control of the game with her sixth goal, scored 63 seconds into the second half for an 8-3 lead. Emi Bisson then assisted on Phillips' third goal three minutes later for a 9-3 lead.
Millyan fed Hannah Bisson to make it 10-3 with 8:49 remaining in the third, and Hannah Bisson returned the favor for Millyan five minutes later, as the Lyons took an 11-3 lead into the final period.
Millyan came from behind the Thomas goal early in the fourth quarter to notch Mount Holyoke's final score, tallying her career-high second goal and fourth point.
The Terriers held the Lyons scoreless over the final 12 minutes and dented the final deficit with two final scores, by Brown and Littlefield.
Mount Holyoke sophomore goalie Emma Tower (Dover, N.H.) made 11 saves for the Lyons and added four ground balls. Thomas goalie Lizzy Gotay made seven saves.
Mount Holyoke next hosts Rhode Island College on Saturday at noon in another non-conference game. Thomas will play at Rivier University tomorrow at 5pm.
