NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Southern Connecticut State University lacrosse team defeated Post, 14-4, in their home opener at Jess Dow Field on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. With the win, the Owls improve to 1-1 on the season, while the Eagles fall to 1-2.

Bayleigh Takacs (Sparta, N.J.), Karlie Rowe (Niantic, Conn.), and Brianna Shaw (Branford, Conn.) all scored three goals each, while Molly Kelly (Colchester, Conn.) and Kelly Jagodzinski (Stamford, Conn.) added a pair of goals. Jettke Gray (Easton, Conn.) also scored a goal and had five draw controls, and Sarah Robbins (Farmingdale, N.Y.) caused five turnovers and scooped up three ground balls. Sophie Kurtz (Cheshire, Conn.) had six saves in goal. 

How It Happened
First Quarter

• Jagodzinski scored the first goal of the game early in the quarter before Post tied it up. Rowe and Shaw scored the game's next two goals, with Mia Pulisciano (Cheshire, Conn.) assisting on Rowe's goal. 
• Post and Southern exchanged goals in the final five minutes, with Takacs finishing the quarter with her first goal to put Southern up 4-2.

Second Quarter

• Southern held Post to just one goal in the quarter, and Rowe and Molly Kelly (Colchester, Conn.) both scored for Southern to give the Owls a 6-3 lead heading into halftime.
• Pulisciano again assisted on Rowe's goal, while Liney White (Madison, Conn.) recorded an assist on Kelly's goal.

Third Quarter

• Southern scored the first three goals of the third to extend their lead to 9-3. Takacs continued the run with a goal at the 13:58 mark, and scored again with 3:41 remaining, her third goal of the game. Shaw then took the draw control and scored her second goal of the game to cap off the run.
• Southern again held Post to just one goal during the quarter, as the Eagles scored before the end of the quarter. 

Fourth Quarter

• Five different players scored all five goals for Southern in the final quarter, as Southern held Post scoreless in the last 15 minutes. 
• Gray scored to open the quarter off a pass from Alexandra Ruel (Ivoryton, Conn.), and Jagodzinski scored her second goal of the game at the 10:45 mark.
• Rowe recorded her third goal of the game with 7:23 remaining, and then immediately assisted on Kelly's goal. Shaw finished off Southern's scoring with just over five minutes remaining, her third goal of the game, and sealed the Owls' 10-point win. 

Notes

• Rowe and Takacs recorded their second consecutive games with at least three goals to begin the season, as they both scored four against Molloy on Feb. 23. They became the first Southern players with at least three goals in each of the first two games of the season since Healey in 2016. 
• Rowe and Takacs became the first Southern players with at least seven goals in the first two games of the season since Nicole Healey in 2018.
• Rowe now has 12 career games with at least three goals, while Takacs has five.
• Rowe has scored 71 career goals, and has recorded at least one goal or one assist in all 33 games of her career. 
• Takacs has 10 points through the first two games of the season, the first player since Hailey Gordon in 2020 to do so. Before that, Allison Kownacki (Orange, Conn.) in 2008 was the last to do it. 
• Jagodzinski now has four career multiple goal games. 
• Shaw recorded her first career game with multiple goals, and has scored in back-to-back games to begin the season. 
• Kelly also recorded her first career game with multiple goals. 
• Pulisciano recorded two assists in a game for the second time in her career (also, March 31, 2021 at American International), and caused a career-high three turnovers. 
• Robbins had career-highs in ground balls with three and caused turnovers with five. She became the first Southern player since Morgan Chase on April 24, 2021 with five caused turnovers. 
• Kurtz recorded a career-high six saves in just her second career-game, and her first career start. 
• Southern allowed just one goal im the second half, their lowest in any half since also allowing one on Feb. 23, 2020 against Dominican. 
• Southern is now 8-0 against Post all-time, with their last four wins coming back at least 10 points. 

Up Next
Southern is back on the road and will play Saint Anselm on Saturday, March 5.