MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Sophomore Kaitlin Gillespie (Haddam, Conn.) recorded a hat trick and four other players scored two goals each as the Salve Regina University women's lacrosse team defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology, 13-5, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action played on Gaudet Field.
With the win the Seahawks improve to 4-8 overall and 2-5 in league play while the Leopards drop to 3-8 (0-7).
The visitors scored the first goal of the game when sophomore Brandie Holland (Lynn, Mass.) connected on a free position shot 4:32 into the contest. Twenty-eight seconds later Salve Regina evened the score with Gillespie's first marker of the contest and began a 5-0 run over the next 15:05. Five different players scored goals during the run, including senior Gina Tortorici (Deer Park, N.Y.) who also had an assist.
Junior Pam Mudge (Hooksett, N.H.) and Holland scored, sandwiched around a Gillespie goal which made it 6-3 with 6:21 left. However, the Seahawks got goals from Tortorici and senior Sarah Woods (East Lyme, Conn.) to make it 8-3 at the break.
The Seahawks kept the Leopards off the board for the first 24:36 of the second half, scoring three times to make it 11-3. Sophomore Amanda Dexter (Harvard, Mass.) ended the drought with a goal with 5:34 left. After Salve Regina scored twice in a span of 25 seconds late, Dexter rounded out the scoring with just over a minute left.
Woods finished with two goals and two assists while Tottorici, junior Abagail Tepper (Foxboro, Mass.), and freshman Katie Kline (Brookfield, Conn.) had two goals and an assist.
Dexter and Holland finished with two goals each for Wentworth.
Junior Katie Jones (Derry, N.H,) started in goal and made five saves to pick up the win before giving way to Josephine O'Reilly (Middletown, R.I.) who made two saves. Senior Robyn Pacini (Stoneham, Mass.) turned aside 11 saves for Wentworth.
The Seahawks are at UMass Dartmouth on Thursday while the Leopards host Mass. Maritime on Monday.
