VARRICCHIO TOTALS SEVEN POINTS AS WOMEN’S LACROSSE ROLLS PAST STAC IN ECC CLASH, 18-9

Box Score vs. STAC - April 14, 2009

HILLBURN, N.Y. (Apr. 14, 2009) – Sophomore attacker Maria Varricchio (Massapequa, N.Y.) posted a game-best seven points off of four assists and three goals to send the Molloy College women’s lacrosse team past St. Thomas Aquinas College, 18-9, in an East Coast Conference match-up at the Torne Valley Sports Complex on Tuesday afternoon in Hillburn, N.Y. Varricchio also caused two turnovers and picked up one ground ball in the Lions’ second consecutive victory.

Locked at 2-up with 18-plus minutes to go in the opening stanza, Molloy (6-6, 1-1 ECC) notched eight goals in a row to grab hold of a 10-2 advantage. Varricchio, junior midfielder Kerianne Steine (Franklin Square, N.Y.) as well as junior attackers Rebecca LaFlare (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and Lori Sollitto (Wantagh, N.Y.) notched two points apiece in that spurt. Freshman midfielder Alison Scalice (Plainedge, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Hayley Lacey (Levittown, N.Y.) each dished out an assist.

With five seconds left in the half, STAC (1-7, 0-3 ECC) cut the deficit to seven on an unassisted score by senior midfielder Jennifer Bruen (Tappan, N.Y.). That put them in the locker room down by a score of 10-3. She and freshman midfielder Anne Buttafuoco (Williston Park, N.Y.) commenced the scoring for the Spartans in the opening 9:33 of the period. Bruen and Buttafuoco each finished the day out with three points each.

The Lions put the game away for good in the first 11:42 of the second half. They registered seven of eight goals during that stretch to take their largest lead at 17-4. Senior attacker Erin Brady (Long Beach, N.Y.) raked one goal and two assists in the run. Varricchio notched a marker and an assist. LaFlare and sophomore midfielder Kristie Sosnowski (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) struck the back netting two times apiece.

Molloy totaled six points on three goals and three assists. LaFlare amassed five points (4 G, 1 A) with 10 shots. Sollitto and Sosnowski each sported three points off two goals and one assist. Sosnowski also won eight draw controls. Steine and Scalice credited two points to their names. Scalice also compiled two ground balls, while Steine picked up one ground ball. Between the pipes, senior goaltender Alicia Frisch (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) stopped five shots.

For St. Thomas Aquinas, Bruen recorded five draws and two caused turnovers in addition to her three markers. Junior attacker Lindsay Lawless (North Caldwell, N.J.) and freshman midfielder Sara Schmidt (Montgomery, N.Y.) raked two points each. Lawless also gathered two draw controls and two caused turnovers, while Schmidt caused a pair of turnovers.

Senior defender Kate Quinn (New City, N.Y.) scattered two draws, one ground ball, one goal and one caused turnover. Junior goalie Jennifer Kugler (Garnerville, N.Y.) made 17 saves.

Head Coach Tom Campolettano and the Lions return to action this Sunday when they close out the road portion of their 2009 schedule in West Haven, Conn. against University of New Haven. The opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m.