Fitchburg State Cruises Past Becker, 18-5

Finamore and Benoit lead Falcons to NEWLA victory with seven points apiece

FITCHBURG, Mass. (April 19, 2012) – The Fitchburg State women's lacrosse team collected 14 first half goals as it cruised to an 18-5 victory over Becker College in New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance action this evening.

Senior Kelly Finamore (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) and junior Cassandra Benoit (N. Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) led the Falcons offensively, totaling seven points apiece, while junior Jessica Bartlett (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) finished with five points on the evening. Finamore and Benoit were both solid, tallying six goals each, while Bartlett added four scores and one helper to aid the Falcons.

Becker received a strong outing from senior Morgan Hazen (Woodstock, Vt./Woodstock Union), who collected a team-high three points with two goals and one assist, while sophomore Ashley Mossey (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendohowa) chipped in with a pair of tallies for the Hawks.

Fitchburg State opened a large lead in the first period of play, posting a 7-1 scoring run midway through the first half en route to a commanding 14-5 lead at the break. Benoit paced the Falcons efforts with five goals, including back-to-back markers on several occasions, while Finamore tallied four and Bartlett added three.

In the second half, Fitchburg State turned to its possession styled offense as its defense picked up the tempo. The Falcons limited the Hawks to just 12 shots in the half, including eight on target, while keeping Becker off the scoreboard for the period. Sophomore Dylana Drolette (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) was stellar between the pipes, totaling 13 saves on the night, while going a perfect 8-for-8 in second half opportunities.

Fitchburg State controlled the draw throughout the night, earning a 15-10 advantage, while the Falcons also owned a 19-11 margin in groundballs. Freshman Karena Prescott (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) suffered the loss for the visitors, stopping eight shots despite being outshot 34-25 in the contest.

Fitchburg State (6-8, 4-2 NEWLA) will be back in action on Wednesday as it hosts Framingham State at 7 p.m. Becker (3-11, 2-4, NEWLA) will host Worcester State on Saturday at 1 p.m.