Washington, D.C. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Lacrosse team closed its 2023 season on Saturday afternoon, earning a 16-5 victory over the University of the District of Columbia at the Georgetown Day School in our nation's capital.

STAC wrapped up the season, moving to 2-12 overall and 1-5 within ECC play, while UDC falls 1-11 and 0-6.

The Spartans received a five-point effort from Katelyn Cerrato on four goals and an assist, while Hailey Galison and Arianna Tribble each racked up three goals and a helper for four points of their own. McKenzie Schlechtweg (3 goals), Sam Van Der Valk (1 goal, 1 assist), Annavictoria Mazariegos (1 goal) and Flaminia Maria Valci (1 goal) all also contributed to offensive outburst by the maroon and gold.

In the cage, Colleen Stevens got the start for STAC and made 7 saves on 12 shots to pick up her second win (2-12) in 14 decisions.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Spartans did all of the scoring in the first quarter, as Katelyn Cerrato deposited two goals to the back of the UDC cage, while Arianna Tribble and Hailey Galison put shots past goalie Natalia Perkins to make it 4-0 for the visitors from Sparkill through 15 minutes of action.
• UDC cut the STAC lead in half with back-to-back goals by Ana Sanchez and Jada Williams to start the second stanza, making it 4-2.
• Annavictoria Mazariegos responded with a goal of her own for the maroon and gold to increase the lead back to three at 5-2.
• Katelyn Cerrato and Arianna Tribble made it 7-2 STAC with an extra-man goal and a shorthanded marker, respectively, to make it 7-2 at the break.
• When the teams returned to the field for the third quarter, Jada Williams struck for her second of the day, just 20 seconds in, to put things at 7-3.
• STAC responded with five consecutive goals, as McKenzie Schlechtweg, Arianna Tribble, Hailey Galison, Katelyn Cerrato and Sam Van Der Valk solved UDC goalie Perkins within a five and a half minute span to put the maroon and gold up 12-3.
• Jocelyn Cruz beat Spartans netminder Colleen Stevens with a little over two minutes to play in the stanza to pull UDC within eight at 12-4.
• A Jada Williams hat-trick goal to kick off the fourth and final quarter of 2023, tightened the scoreboard to 12-5.
• The final STAC markers of the season came with in the remaining 12:54 of play, as McKenzie Schlechtweg (2), Hailey Galison and Flaminia Maria Valci all scored to make it 16-5, which would be the final outcome.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• STAC tallied 42 shots, with 32 directed on goal.
• Arianna Tribble fired eight shots on net, with Hailey Galison and Katelyn Cerrato each recording six on frame.
• Galison, Tribble and Sam Van Der Valk scooped up six ground balls each in the match. As a team, STAC gathered 41 ground balls.
• McKenzie Schlechtweg and Floortje Beune caused four turnovers each on the afternoon.
• Katelyn Cerrato won three of the Spartans eight draw control victories in the match.