LEWISTON, Maine -- After a 3-0 run by visiting Saint Joseph's College narrowed the gap to 8-4 in the first half, the No. 21 nationally ranked Bates women's lacrosse team scored 11 unanswered goals to win 19-4 in a non-conference game Monday evening at Garcelon Field.
Summer Dias scored the first three goals of the game in the opening two minutes, and finished with a career-high five goals on five shots, in addition to two assists. Margaret Smith added three goals and two assists, while Kate Loughlin, Lila Hutchins and Katie Allard all finished with a pair of goals. Kathryn Grennon contributed a goal and two assists, and both Elsbeth Caulo and Avery MacMullen totaled one goal and one assist for the Bobcats.
Dias dodged, shot and scored from close range 39 seconds into the game. She drew a free-position chance and converted it after the ensuing draw, then scored again just 2:01 into the game, assisted by Smith. Dias fed an open Grennon along the goal-line extended and Grennon finished the play for a 4-0 lead.
St. Joe's got on the scoreboard and converted an extra-man opportunity with Lydia Dexter feeding Logan Champlin with 24:06 to go. But Dias retrieved Bates' four-goal lead directly after Gianna DiPinto controlled the ensuing draw, taking an entry pass from Katie Allard, lowering her stick and firing a grounder past St. Joe's goalie Madelyn Nelson, giving Bates a 5-1 lead with Dias figuring in all five scores.
Allard, Jordyn Tveter and Loughlin scored in succession to give Bates an 8-1 lead, still with 17:32 left in the opening half.
Then the Monks found some momentum, reeling off three straight scores, one each by Kara Kelly, Josie Ring and Emliy Ryan, and with 11:59 left the score was narrowed to 8-4.
Grennon assisted on Bates' next two goals, one to Hutchins and one to Allard, making it 10-4 with 10:05 left in the half. Bates added three more scores before intermission for a 13-4 halftime lead, with Dias, Smith and first-year Dana Swartz finding the back of the net.
The Monks were limited to three shots in the second half after taking 10 in the first. Senior goalie Eliza Statile played the second half for Bates and made two saves in a shutout 30 minutes of play.
Kayla Mansir started in goal for St. Joe's and was lifted in favor of Nelson after allowing Dias's first two goals. Nelson made nine saves and allowed 14 goals in about 38 minutes of action before Mansir returned to tend goal late in the second half. Mansir finished with three saves and five goals allowed.
Kayla Kelly led St. Joe's with two caused turnovers, four ground balls and three draw controls. Bates' Liv Sandford had a game-high five draw controls, while Allard led the Bobcats in ground balls (3) and caused turnovers (2).
Bates starting goalie Rachael Deptula made two saves and allowed four goals before she was replaced by Statile at the half.
Bates (5-3) will host Williams in a NESCAC game Saturday at noon. St. Joe's (2-3) will play at Anna Maria on Wednesday.
COURTESY OF BATES COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
