Buccaneer Women’s Lacrosse Earns First Shutout Victory in Program History against Bay Path

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass – Friday night, the 2-3 Buccaneers hosted the winless Bay Path Wildcats at a windy Clean Harbors Stadium. At the end of the 60 minutes, the Bucs had improved to 3-3 on the season and earned the first shutout win in program history, 20-0.

The Buccaneers were led offensively by freshman attacker Alyssa Blumenthal (Braintree, Mass) and junior Cammi Balentine (Haverhill, Mass) who each scored five times in the game. Balentine also had two assists on the night. Freshman Nora Mclaughlin (Quincy, Mass) scored three times and assisted on another goal for the Bucs. Sophomores Hannah Mannai (Keene, N.H.) and Jennifer Leung (Quincy, Mass) each scored their first goals of the season. Sophomore Casey Sullivan (Sagamore Beach, Mass) scored twice in the game and assisted on four goals. The two goals put Sullivan at 65 career goals, third all-time in Buccaneer women's lacrosse program history. Sullivan also caused six turnovers in the contest which is tied for most in a game in program history, tying Stephanie Hunt who did it last season against Worcester State. Attacker Anna Deely (Marstons Mills, Mass) scored once and had two assists while also causing five turnovers for the second time, in consecutive games, this season. The teams 20 goals and 10 assists, is the most points by the Bucs in a game (30) since they had 29 against Bay Path last season. Defensively, as a team, the Bucs caused 21 turnovers, another program record as the previous record was 20, set last season against Fitchburg State. In goal, freshman goalie Laure Kleber (Westport, Mass) faced no shots in the 60 minutes of play.

Bay Path was stifled by the Buccaneer defense, unable to get off a single shot in the contest. The turned the ball over 38 total times in the game, though they did cause four turnovers of the Buccaneers 27 on the night. Goalie Caitlin Esposito (East Haven, Conn), normally an attacker, made eight saves in the game.

Blumenthal opened the scoring for Maritime a minute and a half in to the game. By the time 10 minutes had expired in the first half, the Bucs had scored eight times. One of which was a man-up goal after a yellow card was assessed to the Wildcats and Balentine took advantage to score her first of the night. At the halfway point of the first half the Buccaneers opened their lead to 11. With the clock running now, up 10 or more goals, the hosts scored three more times and went to the halftime locker room up, 14-0.

In the second half, Maritime scored six more times in the first 15 minutes of the half to take the eventual final score lead of 20-0. In that time, Leung and Mannai each scored their first goals of the season.

The Buccaneers are back in action on Monday evening when they travel to Anna Maria College to take on the AMCATS at 7pm.