The No. 14/15 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team was not ailed by star midfielder Ellie Masera’s absence, as everyone else chipped in to help dominate.
The Seawolves (9-2, 4-0 CAA) took on the Monmouth Hawks (5-6, 1-3 CAA) in New Jersey on Friday and blew them out 18-8 on the backs of 10 different scorers.
In her first start of the season, goalkeeper Aaliyah Jones was tested early and often, which did not go well for her. During the first five minutes, the Hawks dissected Stony Brook’s zone defense with ease by using quick passes and constant change in the point of attack. On just three shots, Monmouth attackers Maddie Flynn and Ella Spears combined to give their team a 3-0 lead.
However, the Seawolves punched right back. After losing three of the first four draws, they controlled seven of the next eight in the first quarter and cashed in on most of their chances. Their fast cuts and precise feeds generated several one-on-one shots and free-position opportunities, giving themselves easy goals. Stony Brook ended the opening frame on a 7-1 run, with midfielder Charlotte Verhulst completing a hat trick. Attackers Kailyn Hart, Morgan Mitchell and Courtney Maclay alongside defender Clare Levy all joined the party and scored a goal apiece.
The snowball got bigger in the second quarter when attacker Caitlin Dellecave received the ball from the X and bulldozed her way to the Hawks’ doorstep. From there, she was fouled while sneaking a shot under Monmouth goalkeeper Katie Sullivan. After converging, the officials awarded Dellecave with the goal. Just under three minutes into the period, midfielder Cassidy Millen scored the Seawolves’ eighth unanswered goal to make it 9-4.
After that, Stony Brook went cold for the next 10 minutes, relying on a pair of saves by Jones on free-position shots to hold its comfortable lead. The Hawks eventually got two goals back from attacker Shea Berigan and Spears, but that only reawakened the Seawolves.
From the X, attacker Jolie Creo found herself isolated against Monmouth midfielder Mary Kate George. Creo drove toward the cage, faked a spin move to her left to lose George and fired a shot past Sullivan with 2:17 left in the first half. With just 21 seconds to go until halftime, Hart scored her second of the day to make it 11-6.
Stony Brook went into cruise control after the break. Starting at the 9:46 mark of the third quarter, midfielder Erin MacQuarrie and Maclay each scored on consecutive possessions to push the cushion to 13-6. On the other end, the Seawolves only allowed one goal in the period. Goalkeeper Emily Manning — who replaced Jones to start the frame — caused two of the Hawks’ five turnovers in the quarter and made one save.
Stony Brook re-established its seven-goal lead on its initial attacking set of the fourth quarter. Coming off a weave motion, Levy got the final touch and blew by Monmouth midfielder Sophia Ianno with a stutter step before bouncing one in to make it 14-7.
Levy’s tally was the first of four consecutive goals for the Seawolves in the frame, which put the game to bed. Maclay, midfielder Alexandra Fusco and Hart all scored in order to set up a running clock with 5:03 left. Though midfielder Liv Fanelli halted running time with 3:38 left by scoring for the Hawks, Hart answered just over two minutes later to end it all.
Head coach Joe Spallina was encouraged by yet another big win over a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) team.
“Excited to be 4-0 in conference play and for our players to get a few days off to refuel and get right as we head into another very difficult part of our schedule,” Spallina said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “I really love this group and I know our best lacrosse is ahead of us.”
The Seawolves outshot Monmouth 37-23 overall and 26-18 on goal. They controlled 15 draws of the 29 draws and committed just 11 turnovers to the Hawks’ 17. However, they lost the battle on the ground 13-11.
Hart led Stony Brook with four goals and an assist. Verhulst scored three times and assisted on another, while Maclay posted her first career hat trick. Levy scored a pair of goals and led the team with nine draw controls.
MacQuarrie, Dellecave, Creo, Mitchell, Fusco and Millen all scored one goal apiece. MacQuarrie co-led the team with two assists along with midfielder Jaden Hampel. Attacker Alex Finn, midfielder Isabella Caporuscio and Creo had one assist apiece.
Defender McKenzie Mitchell and Manning topped the Seawolves’ endline with a pair of caused turnovers each. MacQuarrie, Fusco, Caporuscio, Jones and defender Rachel Rosenberg all racked up one takeaway.
Manning had one of her best outings of the year off the bench with six saves in eight chances. Jones finished with four stops and six goals allowed. Conversely, Sullivan played the entire game for Monmouth and stuffed eight shots in 26 tries.
Flynn led the Hawks’ offense with three goals and an assist.
Stony Brook will return to action at noon on Saturday, April 6 at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, where it will welcome the Delaware Blue Hens. The Blue Hens are 7-3 overall this year, but they are 0-2 in conference play. They will play William & Mary this Saturday before their meeting with the Seawolves.
