Feb. 22, 2008

Box Score

Charlotte, N.C. - The Mercyhurst women's lacrosse team set school records for goals in a game and margin of victory as the Lakers opened the 2008 season in impressive fashion with a 25-5 victory over Lees-McRae. Ranked No. 10 in the country, the Lakers won their season opener for the first time since the 2005 season.

This was the second consecutive game that Mercyhurst broke the program's single game scoring mark as the Lakers beat Presbyterian 23-10 in the season finale a year ago. It appeared that the lay-off had little effect on the offensive production.

Junior Breanna Haggerty, an All-American candidate who was named a Player to Watch for the Tewaaraton Trophy earlier this week, had six goals and two assists to extend her streak of consecutive games with at least one goal to 25. She also has a string of nine consecutive games with at least three goals.

Junior Page Christensen played in her first game since the 2006 season and scored six goals as well. Junior Jessie Horeth added three goals and two assists and junior Kristen Toomey posted two goals and three assists. Sophomore Celeste Shefferly and freshmen Ashley Dulaney, Kimberly Masterton, and Maria Rosettie each scored their first career goals.

After Horeth put Mercyhurst on top just 13 seconds into the contest, Lees-McRae actually battled back with two consecutive goals to take a short-lived lead four minutes into the contest. But the Lakers answered back with 15 unanswered scores to take a 16-2 lead into the halftime break. Mercyhurst outscored the Bobcats 9-3 over the final 30 minutes.

Mercyhurst outshot Lees-McRae 47-11, including 28-6 in the first half. The Lakers also held a 34-26 edge in ground balls and won 18-of-32 draw controls.

Lees-McRae falls to 0-3 on the season and Mercyhurst is now 1-0. The Lakers will look to remain unbeaten when they play at Rollins Sunday at 1 p.m.