AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team improved to 4-0 for the first time in program history with a 16-10 win over Georgetown College (Kentucky) Thursday afternoon at Ave Maria University in Florida.
 
The Rock jumped out to an 11-3 halftime lead and cruised to their first comfortable win of the season after having all three of the first games this spring decided by just one goal. Georgetown dropped to 4-3 with the loss.
 
The 4-0 start marks the best four-game start in program history for SRU, which played at the varsity level from 1976-91 and from 2007 to this spring. The best start The Rock have had since reinstating the program in 2007 was a 4-1 mark in 2010. The best overall start to a season (10-0-1) belongs to the 1983 team, which opened the year 3-0-1 through four games.
 
Slippery Rock was dominant through most of the game before reaching to the bench in the second half. The Rock finished with advantages of 42-20 in total shots, 31-17 in ground balls and 10-4 in caused turnovers. SRU was 14-of-19 on clear attempts.
 
Georgetown managed a 15-13 edge in draw controls, but was just 11-of-25 on clear attempts and finished with 32 total turnovers.
 
Caitlynn Palladino registered six points, all in the first half, to spark Slippery Rock's offense. She finished with four goals and two assists. Tori Penders registered her first career hat trick with three goals.
 
Chynna Chan added two goals, while Bre Vodde and ShyAnne Toomer each scored one goal and handed out one assist to cap the multi-point scorers.
 
Lisa Casagrande, Tia Torchia, Brittany Brewer, Kelsey Thoensen and Sami Gentzler all scored one goal and Erin Brown handed out one assist to round out the scorers.
 
Emily Bitka improved to 4-0 in goal after recording five saves and allowing just four goals in slightly under 45 minutes of action. Tori Grecco played the final 15:31, allowing six goals and recording two saves.
 
Georgetown was paced by Merrisa Heraldson with six goals and Avery Blackmon with two goals and three assists. Rachel Kidwell took the loss in goal after allowing 13 goals and recoding 13 saves with just under 48 minutes in goal.
 
Thursday's game marked the end of a three-game trip to the state of Florida for Slippery Rock, which will return to conference action next Tuesday (March 21) at Edinboro University with a 4 p.m. first draw.




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