NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team built a 5-0 lead through the first ten minutes and never looked back in a 17-1 victory over Mount St. Joseph in their first home game of the season on Saturday.

 

Kate Kelly opened the scoring with a goal 1:11 into play, and Erin Doyle doubled the lead a minute and a half later for a quick 2-0 Saint Mary's advantage. Kelly then had a big defensive play four minutes later as the senior blocked a shot in the critical scoring area and collected the ground ball to start the clear for the Belles. Doyle capitalized on the chance for the home side as she buried her second goal of the game for a 3-0 lead. Gabby Belsito netted her first career goal for the Belles with a free position strike just 17 seconds later, and Molly Stout got on the scoresheet with a goal with 20:21 on the clock for a 5-0 Saint Mary's lead. Rachel Ledyard fed a leading pass into the critical scoring area from the right side of the zone for Doyle a short while later, and the sophomore notched a hat trick with her third goal of the game as Mount St. Joseph called a timeout.

 

A yellow card against the Lions saw the Belles score a player-up goal nine minutes later as Bridget Kane made the most of a pass from Rachael Leonard for a 7-0 lead. Doyle then scored her 100th career goal two minutes later as Saint Mary's continued to build momentum along with a lead. As the 90-second clock was waning on a possession for the Belles a few minutes later, Kane fed a pass from behind the goal to Doyle, who not only got the quick-stick shot off just before the expiration of the possession clock but scored on the play to make it a 9-0 lead. Doyle added another goal less than two minutes later as the Belles built a 10-0 lead with 2:23 remaining before halftime. The sophomore beat the clock yet again - this time it was the game clock - as Doyle registered her seventh goal of the contest just before the game clock expired to give the home side an 11-0 lead at the half.

 

The Lions got on the scoreboard early in the second period with a player-up strike just 11 seconds into the half. The Belles, however, did not concede another goal and had six different players score a goal each over the final 25:25 of play for the 17-1 win. Doyle, Shannon McCloskey, Kane, Stout, Kelly, and Liv Heppeler each found the back of the net once en route to the home win for the Belles.

 

Saint Mary's out-shot Mount St. Joseph by a 28-4 margin on the day. The Belles won 12 draw controls to the Lions' seven, and Saint Mary's had a 40-28 advantage over Mount St. Joseph in ground balls on the day.

 

Erin Doyle became the fastest player in program history to amass 100 career goals when she notched her fourth goal of the game to reach the century mark. Doyle, a sophomore, needed just 20 games to accomplish the feat and is the fourth player in program history to surpass 100 career goals.

 

Doyle led the way with eight goals in the game and added seven ground balls. Kate Kelly tallied two goals, seven draw controls, seven ground balls, and four caused turnovers. Bridget Kane and Molly Stout each registered two goals and an assist. Rachael Leonard tied her own school record with eight caused turnovers while also collecting nine ground balls and an assist. Gabby Belsito, Shannon McCloskey, and Liv Heppeler each scored their first goal of the season, and Rachel Ledyard notched her first career point with an assist for the Belles.