The Hartford Hawks women’s lacrosse team defeated the Plattsburgh State Cardinals 17-4 in a non-conference matchup on Mar. 19 at West Hartford, Connecticut.
The win marks a strong performance for the Hawks, who took control after an early goal by Plattsburgh and maintained their lead throughout the game. The result is significant as it follows several losses for Hartford, giving the team renewed momentum.
Plattsburgh scored first within two minutes, but Hartford quickly responded with goals from Katie Graham and Kate Zonin to take the lead. After a brief tie late in the first quarter, Lauren Samela scored on a man-up opportunity to give Hartford a 3-2 advantage heading into the second quarter. Zonin continued her scoring streak in the second period, completing a hat trick and helping extend Hartford’s lead to 8-3 by halftime.
In the third quarter, Samela and Sarah Costa added more goals for Hartford. Costa achieved her own hat trick during this period, while Graham and Jayleen Ruiz also contributed to the final tally. The Hawks finished with 33 shots and four saves, with Samela controlling the draw for 16 wins.
Zonin led all scorers with five goals on seven shots (all on goal), along with an assist and a ground ball. Costa finished with three goals on eight shots (six on goal), two assists, and seven draw controls. Samela had three goals from five shots (four on goal) and six draw controls. Graham also recorded three goals—all on target—and an assist.
After the game, one player said: “It felt really good, I think we played really well as a team today, defense was working, offense was working, and the draw was working. Coming off the first few losses we’re really fired up.”
Looking ahead, Hartford will play Johnson and Wales University away on Wednesday, Mar. 25 at 4:00 p.m.
