EWING, N.J. – A dominating first-half performance, including eight straight goals to end the second quarter, was more than enough cushion for the No. 6 TCNJ lacrosse team to hop into the driver's seat in the NJAC standings with a 19-8 victory over visiting Stockton on a blustery Tuesday afternoon in Ewing.

Natalie Berry scored a career-high four goals – a total matched by Ally Tobler and Anna Wright – and Jennifer LaRocca dished out six assists on an eight-point afternoon to power the Lions (11-1, 4-0) to their fifth consecutive victory. This one carried a little extra importance, with the Ospreys entering as the other unbeaten in NJAC play. No longer.

The Lions put their quick-strike offense on full display, twice scoring a pair of goals in less than 45 seconds before the game was five minutes old. LaRocca started the scoring 79 seconds in on a drive and low shot, then set up a top-shelf tally by Wright just 42 ticks later.

A little over 90 seconds after that, Wright took a pass from Larissa Hatzold and beat several defenders before firing low past the Stockton keeper. Just 31 seconds later, Tobler wheeled around hit LaRocca in stride for a catch-and-fire that made it 4-0 less than five minutes in.

Larissa Hatzold got on the board for the first time at the 5:13 mark after finishing a fine lofted feed from LaRocca, and Wright put a bow on her first-quarter hat-trick with a man-up rocket to the top corner of the cage.

Stockton (8-5, 2-1) got on the board late in the first quarter in bizarre fashion. Julia Charest appeared to have made an impressive save on a point-blank shot by Casey Shultz, but the ball – with Shultz poking at Charest's stick – managed to trickle over the line for a goal.

The Ospreys scored the first goal of the second quarter, but it was all Lions from that point. Wright kicked off a stretch of eight unanswered goals to end the half with a free-position conversion at the 12:19 mark. LaRocca facilitated the next one by herself, stripping a clear attempt and scooping up the loose ball before finding Berry all alone in front.

Berry made it two in a row on an assist from Hatzold, and Jillian Westerby split the defense before sending a low bouncer into the back of the cage to put TCNJ in front, 10-2, at the 5:29 mark.

Tobler potted back-to-back goals in a 52-second span later in the frame, the second on a perfect pass from Hatzold, before Morgan Vaccaro registered her first collegiate goal on a free-position shot with 2:16 left in the half.

Berry made it a first-half hat-trick on an unassisted tally just before the halftime horn to send the Lions flying into the break with a 14-2 lead.

Tobler extended the run of unanswered goals to nine on an assist from LaRocca a mere 45 seconds into the second half, but the Ospreys countered with two in a row.

Berry scored her fourth goal just before the third-quarter buzzer, taking a pass from LaRocca and firing home with 5 seconds on the clock to extend the advantage to 16-4.

Stockton ran off four in a row to pull within 16-8 at the 5:11 mark before TCNJ restored order with the last three goals of the afternoon – two of them by defender Wayden Ay, who came in with just four for her career. The second came moments before the buzzer to provide the final margin.

Anna Devlin and Sabrina Phillips split 16 draw controls for TCNJ, with Devlin adding four ground balls and three caused turnovers. LaRocca matched her with three caused turnovers, with Berry and Nikki Phillips chipping in two apiece.

TCNJ held solid advantages in shots (35-21) and draw controls (18-10) and forced eight failed Stockton clears.

Charest was strong in her three quarters of action, making six saves and conceding only four goals. Hailey Wexler posted one fourth-quarter stop.

TCNJ closes out its non-conference slate on Saturday, when defending national champion Salisbury comes to town for a heavyweight showdown.