The nationally ranked No. 7 Hamilton College women’s lacrosse team won its fourth straight game on Thursday afternoon, beating host SUNY Oneonta 11-6 in non-league action.
Box score
The 7-1 Continentals are off to their best start since the 2011 team went 15-1 in the regular season. Hamilton entered the game ranked 26th in Division III in scoring defense with 7.14 goals allowed per game.
The Continentals closed the game on a 4-1 run to stymie a Red Dragon rally that brought the hosts to within two goals early in the second half.
Caroline McCarthy ‘16 and Morgan Fletcher ’17 both scored their second goal of the game during Hamilton’s late run that included four goals in a row.
Nicole Boylan ’15 converted a free-position shot for Oneonta 6:47 into the second half to cut Hamilton’s lead to 7-5 but the Continental defense held the Red Dragons scoreless for the next 20 minutes while four Hamilton players scored goals to secure the win.
McCarthy followed Boylan’s goal with her second of the game and 10th of the spring 30 seconds later. Fletcher picked up her 15th goal of the year less than a minute later and Nora Klemmer '17 scored her 10th goal of the season with 20:14 left, capping Hamilton’s flurry of three goals in 2:29. Taylor Ryan ’17 wrapped up Hamilton’s scoring with a free-position goal with 7:31 left.
Margaret Gabriel ’16 scored three times in the first 16:33 as Hamilton built a 5-2 lead. The Red Dragons responded with goals by Jaime Morris ’18 and Taylor Casey ‘18 to pull to within a goal. Casey’s goal came with just 13 seconds left in the half but the Continentals needed just six seconds to pad their lead as Gabriel won the draw and McCarthy re-established the visitors’ two-goal advantage.
Gabriel, who added an assist for four points, won a career-high five draw controls. Hannah Haskell ’15 led Hamilton with five ground balls. Annie Pooley ’16 had three caused turnovers and Ryan, Hannah Lease ’18 and Ashleigh Stephan ’15 added two each. Hannah Rubin ’17 made five saves in goal.
Oneonta’s Heather Fitzpatrick ’17 led all players with eight draw controls. Casey and Morris both scored a pair of goals. Nikki Fioretti ’15 collected four ground balls and one goal.
Hamilton returns to NESCAC competition on Saturday, March 28, hosting Bates College at 11 a.m. Oneonta plays a SUNYAC game against SUNY Oswego on Saturday.
