PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Tarryn O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass.) and sophomore
Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) poured in three goals apiece as Plymouth State University blew past the University of Massachusetts Boston, 18-2, in a non-conference women's lacrosse game at Panther Field on Tuesday afternoon.
O'Brien did all her scoring in a seven-goal opening quarter as the Panthers took control from the opening draw. She scored on both ends of a game-opening 5-0 run and completed the hat trick with four minutes left in the first as PSU grabbed a 7-2 lead after one.
PSU added five goals in the second to push the advantage to 12-2 at the half, then coasted the rest of the way for the win. Cunningham buried a pair of goals early in the second quarter before rounding out her goal-scoring in the opening minutes of the third. Junior
Emily Koufos (Loudon, N.H.) added her first two goals of the season in the win.
Plymouth State jumps to 5-6, while the Beacons drop to 0-10.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 18, UMass Boston 2
- Plymouth State (5-6)
- UMass Boston (0-10)
How it Happened:
- O'Brien got the scoring started just over a minute into the first and junior Julia Donovan (Antrim, N.H.) followed with her 32nd of the year less than a minute later for a quick 2-0 lead.
- Senior Amelia Thomas (Hopkinton, N.H.) and junior Maddie Hunt (Littleton, Mass.) doubled the lead and O'Brien made it 5-0 with 6:36 left in the first.
- UMass Boston temporarily stopped the surge a minute later, but freshman Sammy Murphy (Harrisville, R.I.) countered and O'Brien's third of the game pushed the lead to 7-1.
- The Beacons got another one back late in the quarter to make it 7-2 after one.
- Cunningham sandwiched a pair of goals around Murphy's second of the afternoon to extend the lead to 10-2 over the first five minutes of the second.
- Thomas and Hunt scored late in the frame to make it 12-2 at the half.
- The Panthers tacked on three goals in the third, with Cunningham wrapping up her hat trick before seniors Elle Moshier (Stratford, Conn.) and Megan Gaspa (Laconia, N.H.) found the back of the cage for a 15-2 lead.
- Koufos picked up her first of the year less than two minutes into the fourth and she added another midway through the stanza before Gaspa capped the scoring for the lopsided win.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State held a 24-4 advantage in shots on goal and was a near-perfect 10-for-11 in clear attempts.
- The Panthers won 17-of-23 draw controls.
- O'Brien finished with four points on three goals and an assist, while Donovan also had a four-point game behind a goal and three helpers.
- Cunningham's three goals were a career high.
- Thomas and Moshier led the Panthers with three ground balls apiece, while Gaspa chipped in four caused turnovers, two ground balls and two draw controls.
- Junior Margie Black (Longmeadow, Mass.) made two saves to earn the win, while freshman Autumn King (Burlington, Vt.) made her collegiate debut in the fourth quarter and did not face a shot.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State remains at home to face Rhode Island College on Saturday (Apr. 13). Game time is set for 1:00 p.m., with the team's Senior Day ceremony to take place prior to opening draw.
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