WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> On a rainy day in Loretto, some might dream of being at Ocean City, Maryland, beach with some Fisher's Popcorn. Bella Fisher (Duxbury, Mass.) and Lizzie Fisher (Hagerstown, Md.) were popping by combining for 10 goals and an assist to help Saint Francis to a 15-9 win against Robert Morris in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Wednesday.
>> The duo scored seven goals in the first half, including five of the first six Red Flash tallies to stake the team out to a 6-2 lead. Bella Fisher finished with five goals, an assist, seven draw controls, and two ground balls, while Lizzie Fisher also twinkled the twine five times.
>> Danielle Hernandez (New Fairfield, Conn.) added two goals and an assist, and Julia Givens (Elverson, Pa.) posted a goal, two assists, three ground balls and a caused turnover.
>> Saint Francis earned its eighth home opening win in program history and won consecutive home openers for the third time in team history.
 
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
After Robert Morris scored the first goal of the game, fueled by the Fishers, Saint Francis answered with a 6-2 run and never looked back.

Brooke Lacey (Bethel, Conn.) tied the game at one unassisted at 8:46 in the first quarter. Bella Fisher scored unassisted at 6:39 and 3:25, sandwiched between a Lizzie Fisher goal off a pass from Givens at 6:26 for a 4-1 lead. After a Colonials' score, Bella Fisher converted an 8-meter attempt at 2:49 before Lizzie Fisher ended the first quarter scoring off a pass from Colleen Roche (Orlando, Fla.) with 54 seconds left in the quarter for a goal advantage, a margin Saint Francis would hold for the rest of the match in its first win against Robert Morris since the 2005 season.

FLASH QUOTES
"It was a great team win. The team responded really well to all the challenges in every single way. It was raining so hard at one point it was nuts. Given the weather conditions, they handled themselves and showed so much grit and toughness. It was a great rebound win after Rider. We were able to get some people back from the injury today, and it gives us more options to do things." - head coach Tracy Coyne on the game

FLASH MOMENTS
Nancy Alden (East Lyme, Conn.), who had her first career hat trick against Rider on February 22, started the scoring in the second quarter off a feed from Givens at 12:37. Lizzie Fisher found the back of the net off a pass from Lacey at 8:24. Hernandez scored unassisted at 4:51 for a 9-4 lead. Bella Fisher ended the first half scoring for the Red Flash unassisted at 3:28 for a 10-5 margin, and the squad would go into the break with a 10-6 advantage.

Lizzie Fisher opened the second half, scoring 42 seconds into the half off a pass from Hernandez. Bella Fisher twinkled the twine for the fifth time on the afternoon unassisted at 9:02 before Hernandez scored unassisted at 7:59 for a 13-7 edge and put herself on the doorstep of 100 career points.

Bella Fisher helped Lizzie Fisher reach five goals for the day at 4:07 in the fourth quarter, and Givens capped the scoring with a free-position tally at 1:33 for a 15-9 win.

FLASH NUGGETS
Coming off a three-goal, career-high three-assist performance against Rider, Bella Fisher registered at least five goals in a game for the fifth time. It is the second straight game she has posted six points in a contest and the sixth time in her career. The seven draw controls were a career best after she grabbed five draws in a match in four different matches in her freshman year. 

Lizzie Fisher notched a career-high five goals after posting four tallies against Delaware State on March 23, 2022, and against FDU on April 12, 2023. It is also the fifth time in her career that she has registered five points in a match.

Hernandez will go into her next game needing one point to become the 12th player in program history with 100 career points. The senior had four goals and two assists in the last meeting with St. Bonaventure. It was the 18th time in her career that she had recorded two goals in a game, and the 17th time she had tallied at least three points.

Givens started the season with five markers in the first two games before posting two assists in a game for the second time in her career after recording a goal and two assists against FDU on April 12, 2023. It is the second time she has registered three points in a game this season and the sixth time in her career.

Jacks Lesmeister (Houston, Texas) paced the defense with two ground balls, and four caused turnovers in her first game in Loretto. Bella Burke (East Moriches, N.Y.) had a team-best four ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Burke finished her freshman year by registering at least four ground balls in five of her last seven games and reached the total for the first time in 2024. It was also the sophomore's eighth time with at least two caused turnovers.

Taylor Coughlin (Hespeler, Ontario) registered seven saves and earned her first collegiate win.

Saint Francis, who finished 2023 with a 6-2 record at DeGol Field, picked up a win in the home opener in 2024. It was the eighth time the Red Flash has won a home opener, joining the 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2023 teams.

Robert Morris, who played in the Northeast Conference until the 2020 season, had won 13 straight in the series until the game on Wednesday. Saint Francis's only win in the series was the inaugural meeting in 2005.
 
NEXT UP
Saint Francis returns to action at St. Bonaventure on Tuesday. Game time is 4 p.m.