WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (March 20, 2009) – Kate Simmons (Delran, N.J./Delran) netted her eight and ninth goals of the season, but the Saint Francis lacrosse team couldn't find enough offense to match Monmouth and fell to the Hawks 20-6 in West Long Branch on Friday.
It was the first Northeast Conference match up for the Red Flash, who fall to 0-1 in the league and 1-3 on the season.
The Hawks scored seven times in the first nine minutes of action. Sheri Fort (Sickerville, N.J./Washington Township) finally put Saint Francis on the board with 16:55 remaining in the first half. Fort tapped one in directly after a successful clear attempt by the Red Flash.
Simmons joined Fort on the scoreboard a little more than a minute later to bring the score to 7-2 in favor of Monmouth.
The Hawks netted another on a free position shot by Ali Pollock thirty seconds later. Red Flash goalkeeper Danielle Pokusa (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) made a great save on Sam Lillo, but couldn't stop Hawk Megan Brennan, who tallied her second of the night with 8:22 left to go in the first half.
Monmouth put three more on net before Simmons took a stand for the Red Flash and sent a free position shot past Hawks keeper Monica Johnson. Meg Lamarche (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) followed suit, putting another one past Johnson after Catherine Helming controlled the draw with 1:37 remaining in the first.
The Hawks struck back with a goal of their own just ten seconds later, and would net one more before the half was over to take a 13-4 advantage into the locker room.
Monmouth scored three goals off the bat in the second half. Meghan Crosby (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) flipped one in a little less than ten minutes into the second half to put the score at 16-4.
Kaitlin Feeney and Olivia Salata each scored for Monmouth, who scored five more goals in the second half to put their total at 20. Fort then put another one in for the Red Flash after a successful clear attempt to put the score at 20-6 in favor of the Hawks.
Fort and Corrine Smeak (Frederick, Md./Saint John's at Prospect Hall) each grabbed two ground balls for the Red Flash, who had a total of 10 to the Hawks' 19. Simmons led the charge with four shots, all on goal.
Pokusa finished the day with seven saves for the Flash.
Saint Francis will head east again on Sunday for another NEC match up, this time with Mount St. Mary's. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in Emmitsburg, Md.
