ALBANY, NY – Sitting on 98, GinaMarie Wilson (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) needed just two points in Wednesday's game at Russell Sage to hit the century mark for her career. She got what she needed and then some, putting up a career-high-tying nine points in the Hartwick women's lacrosse team's 22-7 overwhelming of the Gators. The win moves the Hawks to 2-3 overall and in the Empire 8 as they end their regular season, while Sage is now 3-4 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
'Wick netted their first goal merely 18 seconds into the game when Claudia Pollaro (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) tallied, and then scored five times by the time ten minutes had gone by to take a 6-0 lead. Wilson had a pair of goals in that stretch, including her 100th career point in the eighth minute on a free position goal. The two sides traded a few goals to make it 8-3 with 9:56 remaining, but then the Hawks scored three straight in 65 seconds to reassert complete control over the game. Emily Schaub (Brewster, NY/Brewster) started the run at 7:56, thanks in part to an assist from Rachel Hedden (Burlington, CT/Central Conn. State), Pollaro followed with her second of the game (assisted by Schaub), and Wilson picked up the hat trick at 6:51 off an Amy Tracy (Smithtown, NY/Florida Southern College) dish. At the half, the Hawks would lead 13-5.
Hartwick picked up where they left off to begin the second half, scoring the first three goals of the final 30 minutes. Hedden started it off at exactly 100 seconds in, followed by Daisy Humsey (Pawcatuck, CT/Hyde School) from Tracy just 13 seconds later, and Hedden and Schaub connected at 24:50 for the latter's fourth goal of the game to make it 16-5. The Hawks outscored the Gators 6-2 throughout the remainder of the contest, including four more points for Wilson, Schaub's fifth of the game, and the first collegiate goal and point for Kierstin Aroksaar (Lynbrook, NY/Lynbrook) with 16:43 remaining.
Wilson led the way for the Hawks with nine points, tying her career high set against these Gators on April 10, 2019. Five of those nine points were assists, which also sets a career high. She had nine shots, four draw controls, two ground balls, and two caused turnovers, as well. Hedden and Schaub also set career highs with six points apiece, the former on four goals (career-high) and two assists and the latter on five goals (career-high) and an assist. Hedden set a career high with a game-leading nine draw controls, to boot. Tracy was impactful all-around today, dishing out five assists to tie a career-best, scoring once, scooping up three ground balls, and causing four turnovers. Pollaro scored her first collegiate hat trick on six shots and controlled four draws. Jennifer Paszko (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) played all sixty minutes in net for the Hawks, making five saves and scooping one ground ball in her second victory of the season.
Brittany Gage and Alexandra Queeney were the only Gators with multiple points, and each picked up three. Gage had two goals and an assist on two shots, as well as one ground ball, caused turnover, and draw control each. Queeney scored a hat trick on four shots and led her team with seven draw controls. Russell Sage split the day in net between three keepers; Carly Plaisance started, gave up five goals on seven shots, and played just 7:53 before giving way to Marina Azab. Azab played the rest of the half, surrendering eight goals on 10 shots. Madeline Butta was in net for the second half, letting nine balls past her on 11 shots on target.
Hartwick had the clear edge in play today. They outshot the Gators 33-15 with a 28-12 lead in shots on goal. The Hawks turned it over 17 times to Sage's 19, cleared it at a 6-of-8 clip to their host's 5-of-14 mark, scooped 17 ground balls against nine, and had 19 draw controls versus the Gators' 12.
The Hawks will play next in the postseason on Tuesday, April 27, against an opponent and at a time and location yet to be determined.
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