COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – A first-half barrage built on ruthless efficiency ensured that the Ursinus College women's lacrosse team's Saturday showdown with Washington & Jefferson was never in doubt. Freshman Emily DiGiorgio scored the first three goals of her career and senior Devin Brakel chipped in her first hat-trick in two years to spark the Bears to a 15-5 victory, their first at home this season.
Ursinus (3-1) found the back of the net on eight of its first ten shots – and one of those rattled the post – and wasted little time jumping all over undermanned Washington & Jefferson (0-2), which came to Collegeville with only three available substitutes. Brakel netted one of her three first-half tallies on a free-position shot less than a minute in, and freshman Bridget Sherry scored to double the advantage about two and a half minutes later.
Junior Amy Kohout (free position) and Brakel tallied just over a minute apart, and freshman Abby Goldstein's marker staked the Bears to a 5-0 lead at the 20:19 mark of the opening half.
Monica Ewansik got the Presidents on the board 43 seconds after that, but Ursinus closed the half on a five-goal run to put the contest out of reach. Brakel completed her first-half hat-trick, freshman Kaci McNeave scored on a nifty spin move, and senior Jessica Hill registered her second goal of the season on a nice set-up from Goldstein to make it 8-1 before DiGiorgio opened her collegiate account with the last two of the period; the last came with only eight seconds left on a feed over the top from Kohout and sent the Bears into the break riding a 10-1 bulge.
Washington & Jefferson opened the second-half scoring about 11 minutes into the period, but the Bears rattled off the next five goals, all from different players, to cruise from there. Junior Jessica Harsch recorded the first of her career at the 17:23 mark, dispossessing a President just in front of the W&J net and sending a shot past the goalkeeper in a matter of seconds to supply a 12-2 lead and a running clock.
Kohout and McNeave cashed in before DiGiorgio polished off her inaugural hat-trick by depositing a free-position attempt with 10:06 to play. The Presidents scored three times in the final 8:40 to provide the final margin. Monica Ewansik had two of those goals and finished with three for the game.
Brakel's hat-trick was the seventh of her career, and the first since a game at Dickinson in 2014.
Kohout and Goldstein provided two goals and an assist each for the Bears, who outshot the Presidents by a 27-13 margin, secured a 13-9 advantage off the draw, and finished with 23 ground balls to their opponent's 13.
Junior defender Lisa Grous matched freshman Courtney Cortese with a game-high four draw controls and collected three ground balls, a figure also reached by McNeave (two goals) and sophomore Franny Liberatoscioli.
Sophomore Meaghan Corbin (2-0) made two saves before giving way to freshman Kaitlyn France for the final 19:07.
Ursinus gets a stiff test on Friday, March 11, when the Bears entertain St. Mary's (Md.), which is receiving votes in the national poll. Opening draw is set for 4:00 p.m.