Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Lacrosse team battled both snow and cold temperatures in a 14-4 loss to the University of Bridgeport on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field.

Junior McKenzie Schlechtweg led the Spartans with a pair of goals and an assist, while junior Hailey Galison and freshman Arianna Tribble each added a goal in the contest. Bridgeport was led by Tara DiMaio who captured five goals and an assist for six points in the victory and Danielle Kreitler who registered three goals and a helper. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a solid defensive start to the contest by STAC, Bridgeport struck with three straight goals midway through the first quarter, as Andrea Basilicato, Megan Kreitler and Tara Dimaio tallied goals to make it a 3-0 game.
• Arianna Tribble broke the shutout for STAC, tallying her first collegiate goal with a shade under 30 seconds to play in the stanza to make it 3-1.
• Emily Stuart found the back of the cage for the Purple Knights just before the first quarter buzzer to increase the Purple Knights advantage to 4-1 through the first 15 minutes of action.
• Another tight checking quarter for the Spartans gave way to two second quarter goals by the visitors, as Tara Dimaio scored her second of the afternoon and Tereza Kreuzova powered her way to the net to score and make it 6-1.
• McKenzie Schlechtweg struck via a free-position shot in a man-up situation to cut the STAC deficit to four at 6-2 with just under two minutes to play before halftime.
• When the teams returned to the field for third quarter action, Bridgeport would put up a five-spot, as Danielle Kreitler picked up her first and second goals of the match, Tara DiMaio registered her hat-trick goal and Emily Stuart and Tereza Kreuzova netted their second goals on the afternoon. UB expanded its lead to 11-2 after three.
• In the fourth quarter, Tara DiMaio continued the Purple Knights offense outburst with her fourth goal of the day to make it 12-2 and trigger a running clock.
• Back-to-back goals by St. Thomas Aquinas made it 12-4. Hailey Galison put one past UB goalie Jacklyn Mellia on a helper from McKenzie Schlechtweg, before Schlechtweg earned a goal of her own on a rebound goal off of an inital shot from the junior attack.
• Tara DiMaio picked up her fifth of the day with less than two minutes to play in regulation to make it 13-4 and Danielle Kreitler struck for her hat-trick in the final seconds to close the scoring at 14-4 in favor of Bridgeport.

 INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• STAC tallied 15 shots on goal, with Hailey Galison registering five shots on net and McKenzie Schlechtweg and Katelyn Cerrato recording four shots apiece.
• Katelyn Cerrato scooped up six ground balls, with Hailey Galison grabbing five. Cerrato, Aaliyah James and Arianna Tribble caused a turnover each.
• Katelyn Cerrato led St. Thomas Aquinas with five draw controls.
• Colleen Stevens (L, 0-2) registered seven saves for the Spartans.

UP NEXT

St. Thomas Aquinas College (0-2) continues its three-game season-opening homestand, facing Chestnut Hill College on Wednesday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m.