Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/10/23
From Press Release
The University of Delaware women’s lacrosse team opened the 2023 season today with a victory at Delaware Stadium over Lehigh, 13-11.
Delaware was led by Keira Grant and Danielle Livornese, who both recorded the second hat tricks of their career. The McHale sisters, Laurel and Jenna McHale, both scored two goals. Laurel McChale also added two assists, while Riley Gillin (Academy of Notre Dame) had a career-high four. On the defensive side, Madison Hranicka starred for the Blue Hens with three ground balls and four caused turnovers, and Mercy McCarthy had six saves.
Grant scored the first goal of the season less than 90 seconds into the game. Lehigh rallied for two consecutive goals to take the lead, but Laurel McHale, the transfer from Bucknell making her Delaware debut, tied the game off an assist from Gillin.
Delaware opened the second quarter with four consecutive goals to take a 6-2 lead. Jenna McHale started and ended the run for the Blue Hens, and Lizzie Yurchak (Hempfield) and Danielle Livornese added goals for Delaware in between. Lehigh scored to end the run, but Livornese and Grant gave Delaware momentum back with back-to-back goals and Delaware took an 8-4 halftime lead.
After Lehigh scored the first goal of the second half, Laurel McHale, Grant, and Delaney McDaniel all riled off goals in a span of 80 seconds to give the Blue Hens an 11-5 lead. In the fourth quarter, Morgan Gore scored on a spectacular behind-the-back goal to put Delaware up 12-6. Livornese put the finishing touches on the Blue Hen’s victory with a goal at the 3:16 mark to wrap up Delaware’s first win.
Grant’s three-goal game was the second of her career, having also done so against Towson on April 30, 2022. Grant and Livornese became the first Delaware players and pair of teammates with three goals in a season-opener since Christine Long and Claire D’Antonio in 2020. Sam Schelling and Livornese both recorded seven draw controls, with Schelling’s being a new-career high. The win is also Delaware’s fourth consecutive over Lehigh, and they improved to 26-7 all-time against the Mountain Hawks and 14-1 at home.
Lehigh’s starting attack combined for ten goals and four assists with senior Katia Carnevale leading the Mountain Hawks with five goals.
Junior Olivia Memeger (Strath Haven) opened up the season on a high note, scoring three goals for the Mountain Hawks. Seniors Gabby Schneider and Emma Eberhardt both finished with one goal and two assists while fellow senior Cassie Marte (Spring-Ford) added two assists and one goal.
Sophomore Lauren Warfield led the Lehigh defense in caused turnovers, finishing with a career-high of five. Graduate student Jenna Garden added four caused turnovers and tied with Marte for a team-high three groundballs. Marte also finished with five draw controls while junior Emma Fiore added two.
