Lopez's Seven Goals Lift Long Island Past Robert Morris, 16-10

(box score)

3/31/06 -- Senior Nichole Lopez (Highland Mills, N.Y.) tied a school record with seven goals as the Long Island University women’s lacrosse team put together a dominant second half en route to a 16-10 victory over Northeast Conference opponent Robert Morris on Friday afternoon.

Fellow classmate Chrissie Carleton (Jackson, N.J.) tallied six points (four goals, two assists) while junior Amy Rizzo (Jackson, N.J.) chipped in with a pair of goals and an assist.

The Colonials controlled much of the first half, as they jumped out to a quick lead and never trailed. Ashley Levering and Jennifer Collins scored 35 seconds apart to give Robert Morris a 2-0 lead just 2:12 into the stanza. Sophomores Samantha Fischbeck (Btitleimore, Md.) and Xiomara Garcia (Pottstown, Pa.) followed with a goal each to tie the game at 2-2.

With the game tied at 6-6, the Colonials’ Bethany Mahaffey found the back of the net to give the team a 7-6 advantage going into halftime.

The second half was a different story, as the Blackbirds came out and scored the first four goals of the period to take command of the game. After a goal by Levering cut RMU’s deficit to 10-8, Lopez took over with three consecutive goals to give LIU a 13-8 edge. Lopez’s final goal, her sixth of the half, came with a little over a minute to play and capped the scoring.

The Blackbirds outshot the Colonials, 16-9, in the second half and won nine of 13 draw controls. Senior Amanda Childress (Leonardtown, Md.) stopped four shots in net to pick up the victory.

LIU continues NEC play on Sunday, April 2 against St. Francis (Pa.). The road contest is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.