Statistics
AVE MARIA, Fla. – The University of New England women's lacrosse team faced a 7-5 fourth-quarter deficit on the road Tuesday evening against NAIA member Ave Maria before closing out a 9-7 victory with four unanswered goals.
Ella Cloutier and
Molly Henderson paced the Nor'easters (2-4) with three goals apiece. The hat trick marked a career high for Cloutier, and matched Henderson's.
Sydney Balotin scored a goal and recorded an assist to surpass 150 career points, becoming the seventh player in program history to achieve that milestone.
Olivia Ferraro recorded 10 saves on the evening and blanked the Gyrenes (5-3) in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to a key stop on a free-position shot that would have tied the game with under four minutes remaining. Instead, UNE gained possession and cashed in a player-up opportunity for an insurance goal – Cloutier's third of the day – with 2:47 left.
Ave Maria was led by Anna Bocchino's three goals, along with Sophie Page's two. Annie Dhabliwala – another goal scorer – hauled in four draw controls to help the Gyrenes earn an 11-7 advantage in that column.
UNE faced a 2-0 deficit before getting on the board with
Vail Carruthers' tally that came in the final two minutes of the opening quarter. Cloutier's first goal came early in the second, but was followed by back-to-back Ave Maria scores. The Nor'easters netted the last two of the first half – just over two minutes apart – with Balotin and Cloutier helping the visitors salvage a 4-4 tie before the break.
Henderson's first goal of the evening, which tied the game at 5-5 early in the third, was the bright spot in a third quarter that saw Ave Maria outscore UNE, 3-1. That goal was a sign of things to come for the Nor'easters, as the junior scored twice in the first six minutes of the final frame to level the score, 7-7.
Chloe Ryan provided the go-ahead goal at the 7:50 mark before Cloutier capped off the 4-0 fourth quarter with under three minutes remaining.
The Nor'easters will return to Conference of New England action on Saturday, March 21, visiting Johnson & Wales at 11 a.m.
