Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Freshman Kennedy Sherman (Buchanan, N.Y.) netted a pair of goals, but a second half surge by the Southern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team came up short in a 9-4 loss to East Stroudsburg on Saturday.



The contest was the 2014 opener for the Owls, who are now 0-1. ESU improved to 2-0.

East Stroudsburg opened the scoring just 70 seconds into play and then tacked on three more goals as the first half progressed to build a 4-0 cushion. The Owls then struck for their only goal of the frame on Sherman's first collegiate goal. ESU held a 4-1 lead at halftime.

The game clearly continued its defensive tone well into the second half. Neither team was able to find the back of the net again until past the midway point of the stanza. The Warriors scored three consecutive goals to build a 7-1 lead with 9:53 remaining.

The Owls countered with three goals in just 34 seconds to jump right back into the game. Emily Horan (South Windsor, Conn.) started the comeback with a goal off an assist from Emily Tooker (Eastport, N.Y.). Fourteen seconds later, Sherman's second of the day trimmed the deficit to only four. Then, after an East Stroudsburg turnover, Sarah Muise (Killingworth, Conn.) found the back of the net to make it 7-4 with 5:42 remaining.

However, East Stroudsburg scored the final two goals to make it a 9-4 final.

SCSU goalie Vanessa Pagano (Wilton, Conn.) finished with nine saves in the game.

The Owls are back in action on March 11 with a home game against the University of New Haven at 7 p.m.