Statistics

BANGOR, Maine – Sydney Balotin scored a game-high five goals to help the University of New England women's lacrosse team come away with a 16-9 season-opening victory over Husson University on Wednesday evening at Boucher Field.
 
Balotin's five tallies, which matched her career high, put her above the 100-career-goal plateau. She becomes the 10th player in program history to hit triple digits in career goals.
 
Husson scored the game's opening goal, and held a 2-1 lead midway through the first quarter, but a 5-0 run by the Nor'easters – including two from Balotin and another two from Chloe Ryan – handed the visitors a 6-2 lead, which sat at 9-5 by halftime. UNE blanked Husson, 5-0, in the third quarter to take a commanding 14-5 lead into the fourth, but the Eagles stayed within single digits down the stretch.
 
Ryan finished with four goals and Emma Collingwood scored three, along with two assists. Vail Carruthers and Molly Henderson netted two apiece. Balotin, in addition to her five goals, controlled possession to the tune of 11 draw controls, plus a pair of ground balls.
 
First-year goalkeeper Olivia Ferraro got the start in her collegiate debut and recorded seven saves, including a pair in the opening two minutes of Husson's scoreless third quarter. The Eagles featured four different goal-scorers, led by Kate Boehmcke and Reese Sullivan, who both netted three.
 
The Nor'easters earned a 16-10 advantage in draw controls, along with an 18-14 edge in ground balls. Both sides were an identical 16-for-21 on the clear and Husson committed 22 turnovers – one more than UNE had.
 
A stretch of two straight road games to open the season continues for UNE on Tuesday, Feb. 24 when it travels to Southern Maine. The opening draw is set for 4 p.m.