BOX SCORE

When and Where: March 1, 2017 – Lafayette Hill, Pa. (Victory Field #1)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 21, Chestnut Hill College 9
Records: SNHU 1-0, Chestnut Hill 0-3

Sophomore Kristin Wilder (Framingham, Mass.) matched her career high in all three major scoring categories as the Southern New Hampshire University women's lacrosse team was victorious in head coach Kathryn Beall's debut, notching a 21-9 win against Chestnut Hill College on Wednesday in the season opener at Victory Field.

Wilder tallied nine points on seven goals and two assists, while freshman Merry Harrington (Peabody, Mass.) matched her nine points with four goals and five assists. Senior Ellen Decker (Foxborough, Mass.) posted three goals and two assists for five points.

Harrington started the scoring just 5:40 in with an unassisted tally that began a run of six straight goals to begin the game over the opening 12:32. Wilder contributed three goals during the stretch, while Harrington added another goal and two helpers.

Chestnut Hill jumped on the board at the 15:30 mark with the first of three strikes in a five goal span over five-and-a-half minutes to trim its deficit to 8-3. SNHU answered with five straight, including the first career goals for sophomore Alexis Felt (Manchester, N.H.) and freshman Samantha Bates (Granby, Conn.), to run the lead to 13-3 with 3:24 left in the first half. The Griffins would score with one second remaining on the clock to whittle their halftime deficit to 14-3.

The Penmen would score four of the first six goals of the second half before Chestnut Hill scored two of the next three to make it 18-8 with 9:11 to go. Felt, Wilder and Harrington would each add one more to run the score to 21-8 with 2:05 remaining before Chestnut Hill capped the scoring with 1:09 left.

Felt scored three goals, while junior Alexa Bedell (Londonderry, N.H.) recorded two goals and an assist and Bates added a goal and two helpers.

Notes:
- Sophomore goalkeeper Leah Olansky (Bennington, Vt.) made five saves over the opening 50:50 in her first career start, while freshman Alex Comeau (Haverhill, Mass.) came on in relief over the final 9:10. Katie Joe Lang stopped five shots for the Griffins.
- Southern New Hampshire outshot Chestnut Hill, 34-19, including 20-11 in the opening half, while also holding an 18-13 advantage in draw controls.

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