The UConn women’s lacrosse team had no issues taking on the New Hampshire Wildcats on Monday, dominating their way to a 17-6 victory at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium in Storrs, CT.
The contest, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was pushed up to Monday to accommodate the incoming snowstorm. Even with the last-minute change, the Huskies had no problem securing their third win of the year.
Connecticut set the tone of the matchup early thanks to a quick goal from Preseason All-Big East Teamer Lia Laprise. The Husky pressure didn’t stop there, with goals from Sophie Sorenson and Susan Lafountain coming within 30 seconds of each other to extend the lead to three.
After the third goal, UNH finally responded, making their way down field a few times before the ball skated past UConn goalie Landyn White. The Huskies had a quick counter, adding two more scores before the Wildcats added one at the end of the quarter.
In the second period, the Huskies added another three unanswered goals to kick things off, including a swift free position strike from Rayea Davis. UNH was able to snag one more goal in retaliation, but Connecticut continued to extend their lead throughout the rest of the half. Kyra Place added back-to-back goals to make it a 10-3 contest.
It wasn’t until less than five minutes in the first half that second-leading scorer Grace Coon added her first goal for the Huskies, the team’s 11th on the day. White, the reigning Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, kept up her commanding streak in net, making some crucial saves late in the quarter. With a Lauren Barry goal late in the half, UConn would go into the big break with a 12-3 lead.
The third quarter was nothing short of pure domination from the Huskies. Ready to put this one away, the trio of Kate Shaffer, Coon and Place combined for four goals. UConn had 15 shots to UNH’s three, and White made one save en route to a clean quarter.
By the time the fourth rolled around, Connecticut head coach Katie Woods had put Georgia Hoey in net and more of her subs into a game that was all but over. The Huskies would be outscored in the last period 3-1, but the Wildcats were far from coming back in what was a 17-6 decision.
Leading UConn in scoring was Shaffer, who totaled four goals and an assist. Place and Lafountain weren’t far behind on the leaderboard, each earning a hat trick on the afternoon. Coon was ultra-efficient, netting two scores in as many shot attempts. Giving a helping hand, Davis dished out two assists alongside her one goal.
The win was a complete one for the Huskies, who improved to 3-1 on the early season. Connecticut gets a well-deserved rest, taking on UMass this Saturday at home. Game time is set for 1 p.m. with stats provided by StatBroadcast.
