DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 8, 2023) – Powered by a game-high and career-high four goals from sophomore Leah Hansen (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields), the No. 15/19 Mercy College women's lacrosse team earned a 19-0 win over ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (6-5, 2-1 ECC) have won three of their last four games, while the Spartans (1-11, 0-4 ECC) remain winless in ECC play. Today's shutout is the third in program history and first since the Mavericks earned a 20-0 win over University of the District of Columbia on April 18, 2018.
Hansen had a career-high four goals and senior Sydney Corley (Coram, N.Y./Newfield) and sophomore Leena Moussa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) both had three goals. Graduate student Emma Rippon (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Iona University) had two goals, three caused turnovers and three draw controls and junior Brooke Zarou (Garden City, N.Y./Long Island University) had two goals and two assists. Graduate student Jaclyn Grzelaczyk (Seaford, N.Y./New York Tech) had a goal and three assists and freshman Andrea Mott (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) had a goal and two assists. Graduate student Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) had a goal and an assist and senior Erin Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Adelphi University) had a goal and two caused turnovers. Freshman Maeghan Callow (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) also scored and sophomore Julianna Loughran (Hauppauge, N.Y./Sacred Heart University) had three assists. Junior Ally Schreck (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) had two assists and junior Kelly Rosenfeld (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) also had an assist. Sophomore Lindsey Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) had an assist with a game-high four caused turnovers and six draw controls. Freshman Olivia LaMonica (Jefferson Township, N.J./Jefferson Township) played the first 45 minutes in goal and made five saves to earn the win. Junior Olivia Maute (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) made one save in the fourth quarter to preserve the shutout.
St. Thomas Aquinas was led by Aaliyah James who had a team-high two caused turnovers. Colleen Stevens made seven saves to take the loss.
Moussa opened the scoring less than 30 seconds into the game to give Mercy a 1-0 lead after a free position shot. Mott and Hansen rattled off back-to-back goals to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. Jaclyn Grzelaczyk and Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk each recorded a goal to make it 5-0 with 11:16 remaining in the opening quarter. Rippon made it 6-0 after a free position goal before Moussa tallied two straight goals to put the Mavericks up 8-0 with 9:47 left in the quarter. Corley, Callow, Zarou and Rippon capped off the scoring in the quarter to give Mercy a commanding 12-0 lead after the first quarter.
Hansen made it 13-0 at the 11:58 mark of the second quarter and scored her second goal of the quarter with 2:50 on the clock to make it 14-0. Erin Shimborske scored the final goal of the quarter, off an assist from Rosenfeld, to give Mercy a 15-0 lead at halftime.
Zarou increased the Mavericks lead to 16-0 at the 11:06 mark of the third quarter following an assist from Loughran. Hansen netted the final goal of the quarter with nine seconds on the clock to give Mercy a 17-0 lead after three quarters. LaMonica made five key saves in the quarter to keep the Spartans from scoring.
Corley gave the Mavericks an 18-0 lead after a Schreck assist with 12:16 remaining. Corley scored the Mavericks final goal of the game at the 4:35 mark, off another Schreck assist, to make it 19-0. Mercy cruised the rest of the way to the shutout win.
Mercy held a 29-8 edge in shots, an 18-6 edge in ground balls and a 14-7 edge in draw controls.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, April 11th when they play at New Haven at 7 p.m.
