Lacrosse Rolls Past St. Francis (PA), 17-8

(box score)

4/2/06 -- Senior Chrissie Carleton (Jackson, N.J.) had three goals and five assists and junior Amy Rizzo (Jackson, N.J.) tallied four scores to lead Long Island University to a 17-8 victory over St. Francis (PA) in Northeast Conference collegiate lacrosse action on Sunday afternoon.

Seniors Jackie McCormick (Liverpool, N.Y.) and Ashley Cockram (Orlando, Fla.) completed hat tricks, each scoring three goals for the Blackbirds (3-7, 2-2 NEC).

Trailing 2-1 in the first half, the Blackbirds erupted on a 5-0 scoring tear to take a lead they would not relinquish. Rizzo commenced the run, tying the contest at 2-2 with an unassisted goal with 7:35 showing. McCormick capped off the spurt with her second goal of the game, a free-position score at the 15:06 mark to push LIU to a 6-2 advantage.

The Red Flash battled back, scoring four of the final six goals of the half. Sophomore Shannon Scarola scored two of SFPA’s four tallies as the Blackbirds took an 8-6 at intermission.

Carleton scored just over a minute into the second half to help LIU regain a three-goal advantage, 9-6, but Bullion responded with an unassisted goal 30 seconds later as the Red Flash narrowed the margin to two, 9-7.

That would be as close as the home team would come as the Blackbirds scored six consecutive goals to push ahead 15-7. Rizzo had two of her team-leading four scores during the run.

Senior Nichole Lopez (Highland Mills, N.Y.) had a school-record 11 draw controls in the game. As a team, the Blackbirds grabbed 18 of the 26 draw controls and out-shot their opponents, 30-21.

LIU travels to Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday, April 4 for a 4:00 p.m. draw.