April 10, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carole Grills
(413) 585-2703

 Springfield Lacrosse Squeaks By Smith 10-9

Northampton, MA:  Junior Sara Smyth (Brooklyn, NY) tallied two goals in the first three minutes of play to give Smith a 2-0 lead but it was the Pride of Springfield College who took home the 10-9 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory. With the win, the Pride improved to 7-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play while the Pioneers fell to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in the NEWMAC.

             Senior Rachel Lampros (Boxborough, MA) put Springfield on the board at the 24:55 mark but Carolyn Whiting (South Orange, NJ) found Susie Parke-Sutherland (Columbia, MD) a minute later to give Smith a 3-1 advantage. The Pride’s offense took over for the next ten minutes and hammered the goal with shots, converting three, while Sara Smith (Brooklyn, NY) made six of her ten first half saves for the Pioneers. Smith’s attack responded with the last two goals of the half by Rebecca Capute (Easton, MD) and Blair Rapalyea (Prides Crossing, MA) to give the Pioneers a 5-4 lead.

            The Pride tied the game up twenty seconds into the second half on a goal by Alexandra Bazzano (Newington, CT) but Smith’s Emily Riff (Wayzata, MN) responded as she scored eighteen seconds later to once again put Smith ahead. Ashley Martell (Billerica, MA) and Bazzano tallied back-to-back goals to put Springfield back in front until Smyth scored her third goal of the game to even it up at 7-7.  With less than twenty minutes remaining, Lisa Thomas (Whitman, MA) and Heidi Eidse (Bryn Althyn, PA) found the net to and gave the Pride its biggest lead of the game 9-7. At the 15 minute mark, Parke-Sutherland scored unassisted to bring Smith within one until midfielder Lindsay Bugbee (Granby, CT) once again gave Springfield a two-goal advantage.  The Pride went into a stall with five minutes remaining and its ball passing kept the Pioneers at bay until Riff caused a turnover and went the length of the field to bring Smith again within one with 1:25 left.  Springfield ran the clock to end regulation and take home the win.

           Smith took the loss for the Pioneers playing sixty minutes and making 15 saves while Lauren McAuley (Yorktown, NY) and Nicole Flores (Branford, CT) split time in goal combining for seven saves with Flores taking the victory.