©Justin Reidy
©Justin Reidy

Hunt, Correia Hand Off to Sullivan, Deely on Senior Night

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – Mikayla Correia and Stephanie Hunt were celebrated on Senior Night by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy women's lacrosse team, who commemorated them with an impressive 18-4 win. An astounding 16 records fell, with Hunt's rookie goal-scoring record surpassed by Casey Sullivan, and Hunt breaking her own season mark for points.

During this week, Correia announced the new Regimental Staff, including her successor as Regimental Commander. There was a changing of the guard on the lacrosse field as well, as Sullivan broke two of Hunt's records with the latter helping the former do so.

Kim Granito briefly stole Correia and Hunt's Senior Night spotlight with a free possession goal off a turnover and a foul. However, the ensuing draw control was won by Anna Deely, who sent the ball to Hunt. Hunt found space and then fired to Sullivan within the D for the equalizer only 26 seconds after the opening marker.

From there, the goals came quickly. Sullivan won the draw control this time, feeding Deely for the net-finder just 12 seconds after the duo scored in reverse order.

From that point, it was all Sullivan and Hunt. Sullivan scored seven goals in the first half and the quick-passing Hunt assisted on five of them. The last combination of the half saw Hunt find Sullivan for her 38th goal of the season. The number broke Hunt's 2015 record for most markers by a rookie.

Deely, a rookie herself, had her hat trick by the midway point as well and Christine Smith had a pair of assists as the Buccaneers outshot MCLA 23-7 in the opening stanza. The score read 12-3 in Maritime's favour when time ran out.

The second half started as the first finished, with Hunt dishing to Sullivan, after which Head Coach Marc Palombo freely substituted from the three-player bench.

Sullivan and Smith found the nets once apiece from that point, while Hunt poured in three of her own. Sullivan's second-half marker gave her 44 for the season, breaking Hunt's best of 43 from 2016. With MMA passing liberally, the final score read 18-4 as multiple university records lay broken.

"It [the game] was awesome!" enthused Palombo. "Casey showed her prowess as the ultimate goal-scorer at Mass Maritime. Stephanie's passing was amazing and she worked so hard."

Hunt's second assists of the day launched the four-year starter past her own 2016 points record of 63 and, with two games to go, the Brookfield, Conn. native has 73 points on the season. Her 42 assists are more than twice the previous record (held by Hunt herself). That total puts Hunt second in the conference in assists and third in points.

Amazingly, that was not all for Hunt. Her six groundballs, a game high, moved her to 111 in her career, surpassing Janine Prokscha (2013-15). The all-time record is Kianna Carpenter's 145. Her pickups also advanced her to 47 on the season, second only behind Deely's 50 was most in a season.

Sullivan now holds the mark for goals in a season by a rookie and by any player with 44. She shot 13 times in the game, putting 11 on target, in finishing with nine goals and an assist. The increasingly more physical midfielder added three draw controls and two groundballs, turning the ball over just once. Sullivan is now second in the MASCAC in goals, first among rookies.

Deely added three of her own markers as she fired 8-of-11 shots on goal. The ever-present center snagged nine draw controls, three groundballs, and caused two turnovers. The Bucs as a whole had their best possession game of the year, losing on 14 turnovers and five of the Trailblazers' 20. Deely ensured the hosts won the draw control battle as well, with Maritime up 16-8 on one-on-ones.

"The accolades keep coming for the same four players [Hunt, Sullivan, Deely, and Correia]," added Palombo. "The 'trio', as I call them [Hunt, Sullivan, Deely], in the midfield, they showed what good lacrosse we can play with the passing and draw controls."

Maritime out-shot MCLA 39-9, with all four of the visitors' goals scored on free possession shots. Mackenzie Cutler found the net three times for the Trailblazers, picking up six draw controls as well. Granito had the other goal, two groundballs, and two draw controls.

Correia earned the win, with her six this season the most by any net-minder in Academy history. She was hardly tested, as MCLA took only five open field shots, putting just one on goal for her 132nd save, fifth most in a season all-time.

"Mikayla is going to the best goalie we've ever had, or that we will have for a while," pointed out Palombo. "It will be a while for us to top her as 'our goalie'."

"It's emotional really, to know that we have only one more home game. I'm going to be sad to see these women girls go. Since I've been here, I've been here with Mikayla all four years since I started as a goalkeeper coach. In the last two [since I became head coach], these women have grown."

"We were sloppy at times, but there were some real high points that showed what we can achieve," explained the Bucs' skipper. "This is the way our season has been going is that we blow out weaker teams, but we have yet to get the consistency in tougher games. [However], these are needed wins, confidence builders, team victories—the defense played well enough to prevent shots [against top teams]."

The final record set on the night was most wins by a Buccaneer women's lacrosse team in Maritime history as the laxers improved to 6-7, including 1-4 in the MASCAC. Incredibly, the team also set the all-time marks for goals, assists, and points by a team in a season all during the same game.

"It feels great [setting the season wins record]," concluded Palombo. "To have five girls that have never played and do what we have done is incredible.

"We're a staff, so I definitely not take credit. Katelynn [Gallagher] and Olivia [Coakley] have been instrumental in the growth of this program. We wouldn't be where we were without those two coaches, no question. They are great with the players and their dedication to lacrosse in general and to this team is unsurpassed. I could not have this success without them, and I feel strongly about that!"

The women close out the season with two MASCAC assignments, travelling to Framingham State (11-2, 3-1) for a Wednesday evening contest before returning home to conclude the year against Fitchburg State (7-6, 2-3). The contest will begin at 7 p.m. and all are welcome to Clean Harbors Stadium.

Make sure to bookmark www.mmabucs.com and get the inside scoop on Facebook and Twitter @mmabuccaneers. Plus, check out our new Instagram @massmaritimebuccaneers.

For those struggling to keep up with the amazing performances of the night (!), below is a rundown of the various records set in tonight's victory.

Record Set Tonight

Type

Total

Previous Record (Year)

Season Wins by a Team

Team

6

5 (2015)

Season Goals by a Team

Team

142

139 (2015)

Season Assists by a Team

Team

76

72 (2016)

Season Points by a Team

Team

218

206 (2016)

Most Wins Against One Team

Team

4

3 (Wheelock, MCLA)

Most Consecutive Wins Against One Team

Team

4

3 (Wheelock, MCLA)

Season Points by an Individual

Stephanie Hunt

73

Hunt, 63 (2016)

Season Goals by an Individual

Casey Sullivan

44

Hunt, 43 (2016)

Season Rookie Goal Total by an Individual

Casey Sullivan

44

Hunt, 37 (2015)

Game Points by an Individual

Stephanie Hunt

11

Hunt, 10 (2016)

Game Assists by an Individual

Stephanie Hunt

6-tie

Hunt, 6 (2018)

Game Goals by an Individual

Casey Sullivan

9

Doucette, 8 (2012)

Game Goals by an Individual, Rookie

Casey Sullivan

Sullivan, 7 (2018)

Game Points by an Individual, Rookie

Casey Sullivan

10 

Deely, 8 (2018)

Game Shots by an Individual, Rookie

Casey Sullivan

13 

Deely, 11 (2018)

Game SOG by an Individual, Rookie

Casey Sullivan

11 

Hunt, 9 (2015)