Head LIU Post women’s lacrosse coach Meghan McNamara and her Pioneer squad traveled down to Washington D.C. on Friday, April 10, where they decimated their new ECC foe, the University of the District of Colombia, in a 20-2 blowout at Woodrow Wilson High School.
In the first ever meeting between the two teams, the Pioneers overwhelmed the Firebirds in the first half, holding a commanding 15-1 lead into the break. Sophomore attacker Stefani Vagelatos scored four goals and senior midfielder Jenna Pierro recorded three tallies and two helpers in the first 30 minutes of action.
LIU Post continued to strike in the second half, as sophomore attacker Brianna Gibbons and freshman attacker Andrea Ferncsik each scored their first collegiate goals.
The Pioneers dominated in the shot count (40-2), as their defenders, led by sophomore midfielder Connor Bird, junior midfielder Kaitlin Gaghan, and junior Brittany Smith, had the hosts on lockdown for the entire game.
Smith and Bird both won six draws and secured three ground balls.
On Wednesday, April 8, the women’s lacrosse team knocked off Dowling College in an 11-4 triumph at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium in Brookville. This East Coast conference showdown was chippy throughout all 60 minutes. Dowling piled up the fouls early, with yellow cards on junior midfielder Allie Merrill and senior attacker Jackie Andersen. However, the Pioneers couldn’t take advantage as they trailed 2-1 in the opening moments of the contest.
It wasn’t long until the hosts found their footing though. After a Vagelatos shot ricochet off the left pole, the Pioneers continued to attack and scored on an Emily Delaney goal, assisted by Gaghan.
LIU Post continued to string tallies together as they went on a 4-0 run to carry a 5-2 edge into halftime. Sophomore midfielder Cara Douglas, Pierro, and Vagelatos all found the back of the net during the stretch. Delaney dished out the final score of the half to Vagelatos with just 8.5 seconds remaining.
The Pioneers extended their advantage to 8-3 with two goals from Pierro and one from Douglas midway through the second half. Shortly thereafter, the Golden Lions were slapped with their third yellow card of the game.
Sophomore attacker Katie Meinecke scored to make the score 8-4 at the 19:49 mark, but from there on, it was all LIU scoring the final three markers. Pierro delivered the knockout punch with 1:09 remaining, scoring her fourth goal of the game on a free-position shot.
Two-time East Coast Conference goalie of the week, Olivia Kirk, was a force in the cage, making seven saves for LIU Post. The hosts outshot the opposition 29-16 and converted 12-of-14 clears. Pierro won six draw controls and scooped up three ground balls, in addition to her four goals. Delaney and Vagelatos each had three points for the Pioneers.
LIU Post will return to the field on Saturday, April 18, when they play host to St. Thomas Aquinas College, in a match-up at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. McNamara and her team look to remain undefeated in ECC action. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m.
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
