SCRANTON, Pa. – A strong first half gave the No. 10 TCNJ women's lacrosse team enough of a cushion to sidestep a third-quarter rally by host Scranton and polish off an unblemished season-opening road swing with an 11-8 victory on a waterlogged Wednesday.
 
FOR THE RECORD

• The Lions moved to 3-0, while the Royals fell to 3-2

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TCNJ started on the front foot, getting goals from Morgan Vaccaro and Kira Sides just 31 seconds apart in the opening minutes
• After the Royals got on the board, Sides deposited two more shots into the back of the cage – these separated by only 40 seconds – to stake the visitors to a 4-1 lead after one
• Just like Sides took over in the first quarter, Marissa Lucca did so in the second. After Scranton's Erin Reich and Madison Wernik traded goals, Lucca ran off a personal run of three unanswered markers in less than four minutes of game time to up TCNJ's advantage to 8-2
• The Royals pulled one back before the break, only for Ally Tobler to net an unassisted tally and restore a six-goal spread at 9-3
• Scranton began its comeback there, scoring twice in 14 seconds as part of a 4-0 run that bridged the end of the third period
• With the lead down to just two (9-7), first-year Gabriella Roosa notched consecutive goals – the first on an assist by Tobler – to separate the Lions for good

FOR THE FOES

• Molly McCarren had a hat-trick with three goals
• Reich finished with two goals and an assist and Eileen Hewitt also scored twice
• Grace Dabulas and Karina Roettger caused four turnovers apiece and Lauren Boldis finished with six saves

STANDOUT LIONS

• Sides recorded four points for the third consecutive outing, scoring three goals and dishing out an assist. She also had four draw controls, four ground balls, and three caused turnovers
• Lucca posted her third straight hat-trick with three goals
• Roosa scored two goals, while Tobler and Vaccaro each paired a goal with an assist
• Wernik, Kileigh Pfluger, and Emily Potenza each caused two turnovers, and Potenza scooped up four grounders
• Julia Charest totaled seven saves, four of them coming in the fourth quarter as Scranton held a 9-3 shot advantage

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Scranton outshot the Lions, 24-23, and held a 15-8 edge in the draw circle
• TCNJ hassled the Royals into 21 turnovers

NOTES

• TCNJ has beaten the Royals three years in a row
• Scranton was on the cusp of the national rankings this week, the first team out of the IWLCA top-25 poll

UP NEXT

• TCNJ welcomes Farmingdale State to Ewing for the home opener on Saturday