LORETTO, P.A. – The LIU women's lacrosse team won its Northeast Conference Opener on Saturday, taking down Saint Francis, 11-7. With the win, the Sharks improve to 2-8 overall and 1-0 in the NEC.
 
The Red Flash scored the game's first goal, but it did not take long for the Sharks to respond. Amanda Masullo scored on a free position goal to even the game at 1-1 late in the first. Saint Francis would tag two more goals in the period, leading 3-1 after the first.
 
After the first nine minutes, the game was still 3-1 in favor of the Red Flash. At the 6:24 mark, Gina Toscano brought the Sharks within one on an unassisted goal. LIU went on a 4-1 run to end the period, firing in three-straight goals in a two-minute stretch.
 
Masullo scored her second of the afternoon on a man-up opportunity to tie the game at three. Brianna Tribble controlled the draw, and seconds later, Hannah Kenneally gave the Sharks the lead with her first of the day, 4-3. Whitney Moran was the fourth Shark to score, increasing the lead to 5-3. Saint Francis would score once more, but Jen Gaffney put the finishing touches on the first half to move the lead to 6-4 into halftime.
 
Francesca Vasile-Cozzo scored the first goal of the second half to give the Sharks a 7-4 lead. Moran added her second on a rebound from a free position shot from Kenneally with 5:38 left in the third. Isabelle Peng scored on a free position to end the period. Duchnowski kept a clean sheet in the third, saving three shots to keep Saint Francis off the board.
 
LIU would stretch their lead to seven when Keneally and Masullo each added goals in the first four minutes of the fourth. The Red Flash scored three unanswered, but it was not enough, as the game ended with a final score of 11-7, LIU.
 
Duchnowski earned the win in cage, collecting eight saves on the day. Masullo led all scorers with three goals, and Keneally and Moran each had two goals of their own.
 
Up next, the Sharks return home to face Wagner on Wednesday, March 30 at 1:00 p.m.