FINAL STATS
Lewisburg, PA – The Wagner College women's lacrosse team opened its 2009 season with two quick goals and trailed by just a 4-3 count at halftime but the Seahawks could not sustain the momentum as Bucknell came from behind to post a 14-5 win in the season opener for both teams.
The game marked the head coaching debut of for Wagner's Cristina Curiale, a former standout player and assistant coach at Rutgers University.
Senior midfielder
Cara Gonzalez (Syracuse, NY/ Westhill), an All-NEC second-team selection each of the last two years, got the Seahawks on the board with an unassisted goal at the 20:45 mark of the opening half. Fellow senior midfielder
Kelly Blundin (Plymouth Meeting, PA/ Plymouth Whitemarsh), the Seahawks' all-time assist lead, with 48, added another unassisted tally just 19 seconds later to give Wagner a 2-0 lead.
Bucknell responded with four consecutive goals over the next 14:33 in building a 4-2 advantage. Seahawk freshman midfielder
Carolyn Clark (Syracuse, NY/ Westhill) then quelled the rally with her first career goal with 3:01 left in the half as the teams went into intermission with the Bison clinging to the one-goal lead.
The Bison erupted for six unanswered goals in the second half to go up by a commanding 10-3 count. Blundin added her second goal of the game and junior attack
Janine Bright (Commack, NY/ Commack) added another to round out the Seahawk scoring. Gonzalez and freshman midfielder
Melanie Garces (San Diego, CA/ Westview) added assists for Wagner.
Junior
Alex Johnston (Manlius, NY/ Fayetteville-Manlius) went the distance in goal for the Seahawks, recording 14 saves.
Chelsea Peters tallied three goals and two assists and Bonnie Buechel and Julia Braun also scored three times each to lead Bucknell. Defensively, sophomore goalie Alyssa DeLorenz enjoyed one of the best games of her young career, finishing with 10 saves and only five goals against. Bucknell outshot Wagner 38-21, including 22-8 in the second half. Bucknell had 17 ground balls to 11 for Wagner. Both teams were foul-prone, with the Seahawks whistled for 27 fouls compared to 25 for the Bison.
The game began in a snow squall, with winds gusting up to nearly 40 miles per hour.
The Seahawks will host Saint Joseph's on Saturday, February 28 at 1:00 pm.
