BELOIT, Wis. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team opened the game with six consecutive goals and never looked back in a 13-2 win at Beloit on Friday evening.
Valentina Rubio put the Belles on the scoreboard first with a goal three minutes into action. Alyssa Grant scored less than a minute later, and Julia Gorski then added a goal of her own at 9:28 for the quick 3-0 advantage. Paige Lyons, Erin Dotson, and Rubio each scored a goal in the span of 42 seconds to balloon the lead to 6-0 in the first quarter. The Buccaneers got on the scoreboard with a goal with 6:57 on the clock, but the Belles continued to keep the pressure on before Gorski notched her second goal of the period for a 7-1 lead.
Saint Mary's continued to find success in the midfield and on the offensive third of the field in the second stanza. Alyssa Grant scored just 46 seconds into the quarter and added another goal with just under 12 minutes still to go on the clock for a 9-1 lead. After a stretch of back-and-forth play, the Belles again found the back of the net with another Valentina Rubio goal for a 10-1 lead. After Grant won the ensuing draw control, Rubio struck yet again just 24 seconds later for an 11-1 lead to invoke the running clock. Emma Zmudzinski had a crucial save with two minutes to go to ensure the clock continued to run over the remainder of the half as Saint Mary's outscored Beloit 4-0 in the quarter.
Mila Swiacki had a save early in the third quarter to continue to keep the Belles ahead by ten. Rubio earned a caused turnover and buried a chance the other way to cushion the lead to 12-1. The Buccaneers scored a goal early in the fourth quarter to make it a 12-2 game, but two more saves by Swiacki kept the advantage at ten goals. Reese Bauer capped off the scoring and all but closed out the game with a goal with under three minutes to go, and the Belles left the field with a 13-2 victory.
Saint Mary's had a big edge in shots in the game with a 23-9 advantage over Beloit. The Belles also held a 13-5 upper hand over the Buccaneers in draw controls.
Valentina Rubio posted new career-high marks for goals, assists, and points in a game as the sophomore tallied five goals, two assists, and seven points to pace the Belles. Rubio also picked up three ground balls, four draw controls, and had three caused turnovers. Alyssa Grant registered her first collegiate hat trick with three goals and added an assist. Julia Gorski had two goals and added two caused turnovers. Erin Dotson posted a goal, three assists, two ground balls, four draw controls, and six caused turnovers to tie for the seventh-most caused turnovers in program history. Reese Bauer chipped in a goal with two assists, and Paige Lyons had a goal with a caused turnover. Christiana Singler tallied a career-high three caused turnovers in the win. Emma Zmudzinski and Mila Swiacki combined for six saves in goal while splitting time in goal in the victory.
The Belles (2-0) will stay in the Badger State and make the trek to Kenosha to take on Carthage on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CST (2:00 p.m. EST).