HOBOKEN, NJ – Stevens Institute of Technology took full advantage of its home field status in Saturday afternoon's regular season finale vs the Hartwick women's lacrosse team, shutting down the Hawks, 17-5, to clinch an Empire 8 Tournament spot. 'Wick finishes their season at 7-9 overall and 4-4 in conference, good for fifth in the final standings. The four Empire 8 wins ties a program record achieved four times, most recently last season. The Ducks close out their regular season at 8-9, but 6-2 in conference. They will take on Utica in the conference semifinals next weekend.
Kyra Bednarski grabbed control of the game early for Stevens, scoring the first four goals over 8:08 of game time. The first three tallies were unassisted (two were free position), while the fourth was helped out by Gale Bennett. Morgan Westerby made it 5-0 at 17:44 on her 17th of the season. The Hawks showed some resilience, outscoring the hosts 2-0 over 10-plus minutes starting after Bennett's goal. Rachel Hedden (Burlington, CT/Central Conn. State) got 'Wick on the board at 14:46, and Hailey Pooler (Adams Center, NY/South Jefferson) followed suit 1:46 later off of a pass from Emma Knapp (Canandaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman), cutting the Hawk deficit to three at 5-2.
That was as close as they would get for the rest of the game, however, as the Ducks scored the next five goals leading into the half. Bednarski had the next two at 6:36 and 5:30, her 64th and 65th tallies of the season. Bednarski took a break from scoring for her squad's next two goals, assisting Hannah Condren and 3:55 and 0:48 seconds, but finished out the first thirty minutes on a goal with four ticks on the clock, assisted by Westerby. At the break, Stevens led, 10-2.
The home team picked up where they left off at the end of the first, scoring seven unanswered to start the second half (making it 12 straight overall). Emily Shanklin assisted goals from Westerby and Condren at 29:15 and 27:54, then scored her 32nd of the year at 23:51. Westerby tallied again, unassisted, at 21:58, and was again followed by Condren from Shanklin, at 18:47. Stevens' final two goals of the game came from Haley Hanrahan and Fitzpatrick, who assisted on each other's goals at 15:14 and 11:34, respectively. Hartwick closed their season on a 3-0 run; Knapp got her final collegiate goal at 8:54 via classmate Pooler, who then took an Amy Tracy (Smithtown, NY/Florida Southern College) pass and deposited it into the net at 6:17 for the final tally of her career. GinaMarie Wilson (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) closed out the day's scoring at 4:46, converting on a free position shot for her team-leading 46th goal and 56th point of the season.
Pooler and Knapp were the multiple point-scorers for 'Wick on Saturday. Pooler had two goals on three shots and an assist, extending her program record of most assists for the final time at 112. Knapp had a goal on three shots and an assist, as well as two draw controls. Hedden, Tracy, and Wilson were the other Hawks who registered points, all also controlling a draw. Emma Kaplan (Danbury, CT/Danbury) tied for the game high of four caused turnovers in her final game, scooping two ground balls as well. Katie Weaver (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) had the team lead (and a tie for the game high) with three ground balls, in addition to causing one turnover. Goaltender Ashley Jablonowski (Levittown, NY/Island Trees) finished out her excellent season with eight more saves over 41:13 of gametime. Jennifer Paszko (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) closed out the game in net over the final 18:47, making three saves on five shots on goal and registering one ground ball.
The Ducks had sizeable lead in each statistical category. They had a 37 to 12 advantage in shots (28 to 9 in shots on goal), and had 13 turnovers to Hartwick's 16. Stevens was 16-of-17 on clear attempts compared to 'Wick's 14-of 20, had 19 ground balls to 10, and controlled 18 draws to the Hawks' five.
Bednarski was a dynamo for Stevens, scoring a game-high seven times on 12 shots and assisting on two other goals. Condren, Shanklin, and Westerby each had four points; Condren had four goals on five shots and a caused turnover, Shanklin had a goal on eight shots, three assists, a game-high nine draw controls, two ground balls, and two caused turnovers, and Westerby had a hat trick on four shots, an assist, five draw controls, and two ground balls. Hanrahan and Fitzpatrick had two points apiece, each on a goal and an assist. Fitzpatrick also tied for the game-high of four caused turnovers and had a tie for the game high of three ground balls.
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