Milestone Efforts Lead Corsairs Past Anchorwomen

DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Powered by milestone goal efforts from junior Melanny Sanchez Alvarez and rookie Maddie Wright, the UMass Dartmouth women's lacrosse team defeated Rhode Island College, 20-3 in Little East Conference action on Saturday afternoon on Cressy Field. The Corsairs move to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while the Anchorwomen slip to 1-9 and 0-2 in the LEC.

Sanchez Alvarez needed just two goals entering today's game to reach 100 for her career, which she accomplished at the 11:02 mark of the opening quarter. Wright began Saturday's contest needing just five tallies to reach 50 on the season and her career, which she accomplished at 6:13 of the second quarter with her fifth of the game. 

The Corsairs jumped out quickly with Wright getting the scoring going at 13:35. UMD tacked on eight straight goals, including four from Sanchez Alvarez and two each from Wright and junior midfielder Widline Thomas.

The Anchorwomen battled back with 3:42 left in the opening quarter as rookie attack Claire Greene found the back of the net, but goals from junior attack Natalia Agrelo and Wright - in the final 15 seconds - saw the home team head into the second frame with the 10-1 lead.

Both teams scored to open the second quarter, as RIC's Hannah Marley cut the 10-goal deficit to nine at 12:28, but the Corsairs stormed right back in as Wright tallied two, while Thomas added another to expand the lead to 14-2 and activate the 10-goal running clock. 

UMD, which led 14-3 at half after a late second quarter goal from RIC's Greene, was paced the rest of the contest by its big three as Thomas tacked on two more goals over the final two quarters, while Wright scored three and Sanchez Alvarez had one.

Wright, who ranks second in Division III in goals and points per contest, finished with eight goals and two assists for 10 points. Of her 10 shots, nine were on goals, while adding four ground balls and a caused turnover with a game-best 10 draw controls. Thomas finished with six goals, four ground balls, three caused turnovers and three draw controls, while Sanchez Alvarez posted five goals with two ground balls, a game-high four caused turnovers and four draws. In goal, senior Payton Conceicao made two saves to improve to 6-3. 

The Anchorwomen were paced by Greene, who had two goals with three ground balls and four draw controls. Marley added a goal with a ground ball and two draw controls as senior Shannon O'Connell shouldered the loss in goal, making six saves in the contest.

UMass Dartmouth is back in action on Tuesday when it travels to New England College for a 4pm game against the Pilgrims. The Corsairs return home for LEC action on Friday, hosting Southern Maine at 6pm on Cressy Field.