The Saint Anselm women’s lacrosse team was defeated by the Panthers of Adelphi University on April 21, with a final score of 18-4. Senior attacker Erica Mattila scored twice and dished out an assist in the loss.

Adelphi, currently sitting at #1 on the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) national rankings, opened the game with a 14-0 run. They swiftly opened up scoring as soon as the match began. The Panthers scored twice in the first 30 seconds, and three times in the first 1:30 to take a commanding lead to start the game.

To start the second half, sophomore attacker Breda Holland found the net to give the Hawks their first goal of the game. Three minutes later, senior midfielder Emma Palumbo scored her 34th goal of the season.

Adelphi rattled off a run of three straight goals, until Mattila scored on two free position shots to conclude the scoring for the Hawks. Adelphi held on to their large lead and finished the game 18-4 to claim the victory over the Hawks.

Senior goalkeeper Zoie Cavotta had six saves in the first half. Sophomore Bailee Pudvar took over in net for the second half, tallying one save. Unfortunately, both goalkeepers were unable to hold back the strong attack of Adelphi. Both teams were effective on clears, with Adelphi going 12-14 and Saint Anselm 11-14.

The Hawks also battled against the Stonehill Skyhawks on Tuesday April 17. Stonehill finished with a very strong performance. The Skyhawks came back from behind and were able to overtake the Hawks. Stonehill scored seven of the game’s eight goals in the end of the game to clinch the victory, 14-12.

Junior midfielder Molly Beck led the scoring for the Hawks, netting four. Seniors Mattila, Palumbo and Meaghan Sheehy each scored for the Hawks, with Holland scoring two and giving out an assist.

Sheehy moved up to sixth all time in Saint Anselm history with 162 career points. Mattila currently sits third on the school record book, with 163 draw controls in her time at Saint Anselm.

Stonehill opened the game with a 4-0 run, but the Hawks battled back with a 7-0 run of their own to take the lead going into the first half. During the run, Holland scored two goals and one assist.

The Hawks were up four with 20 minutes remaining, but Stonehill surged ahead to take the lead after scoring six straight goals, leading 13-11 with eight minutes left.

Molly Beck scored a goal for the Hawks to trim the lead to just one. After trading turnovers, Stonehill defended Mattila’s would-be equalizer on a free position shot with 1:07 remaining. Stonehill would score with six seconds remaining to seal the game, 14-12. Cavotta recorded six saves in the loss.

The Hawks have faced six ranked opponents this season, including their three final games of the season. After battling #1 Adelphi, the Hawks face #14 Pace and #20 New Haven. They look to finish the season with two statement wins against the nation’s best.