HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Maeve Cowley recorded her fourth-career hat trick Friday afternoon, April 6, to help lead the Elon University women’s lacrosse team to a 12-8 road victory at Hofstra to open CAA play at Shuart Stadium.
Final Stats | Josh Hexter Postgame Interview
THE RUNDOWN
Though the two teams were quiet throughout the first 19 minutes with Hofstra (6-5, 0-1 CAA) scoring two of the game’s first three goals, Elon (2-8, 1-0 CAA) came alive with less than 10 minutes to go in the opening half with a 4-0 run it extended to 5-1 in the final 9:52 of the frame to take a 6-3 lead to halftime.
Trailing 2-1 after a Drew Shapiro goal with 10:24 left, Cami Lynch started the 4-0 run that saw Lynch, Kelsey Dupere, Quinn Daly and Summer Larese all score within a span of 3:43 to lead 5-2. In the closing minute, Elon got the ball back with 49 seconds left and called timeout with 34 seconds to go to draw up a play. Cowley converted her second tally of the day with 28 seconds left to help Elon double the Pride in the first half at 6-3.
In the second, Hofstra opened the first 16 minutes on a 4-2 run to cut Elon’s lead down to 8-7. Like the first half, though, the Phoenix came alive in the final third of the frame with four goals in the last 11:48 to seal the 12-8 win. During a 3-0 run, Meri Curtin scored her first collegiate goal on a tough angle coming from behind the cage and after Lynch’s second of the day, Stephanie Asher hit another tough-angle shot nearly identical to Curtin’s to make it 11-7 with 6:01 to go. Down the stretch, the Pride scored with 4:48 left to come back within three, but Larese put the game away with her second of the day with 96 remaining to finish the 12-8 victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
Cowley’s three tallies led the way for Elon. Asher finished the afternoon with two goals and a career-high-tying three assists for a game-high five points to go with seven draw controls. Lynch and Larese both finished the day with their two goals while Dupere, Curtin and Daly all tallied once. Kira Oberle finished with a team-best three ground balls and Lynch, Curtin and Bridget Lamb all picked up two. Jacie Cooper got the start at midfield and finished the day with four draw controls.
Alyssa Parrella led Hofstra with three points thanks to two goals and an assist. Shapiro, Carlee Ancona and Alexa Mattera each tallied twice to round out Hofstra’s attack. Mattera also had a team-best five draw controls and Maddie Fields snared three ground balls.
NOTES
-With seven draw controls, Stephanie Asher has tied Elle Hvozdovic’s 2014 program record of 52 draw controls in a season. Asher has five more regular-season games to collect one more and set a new record.
-Tori Cipollone made 10 saves in the cage to set a new career high.
-Cowley’s three-goal day is her second of the season. She also scored three times at No. 18 Notre Dame on Feb. 25. With two hat tricks this year, she has doubled her career hat trick total to four.
UP NEXT
Coming home for a pair of contests next weekend, Elon will welcome two Top 10 teams to Rudd Field in Towson and James Madison. First, Elon will host the seventh-ranked Tigers for a 6 p.m. game on Lax Sports Network on Friday, April 13. On Sunday, April 15, the fourth-ranked Dukes will visit the Phoenix at 1 p.m.