DALY LEADS WOMEN'S LAX TO 10-4 VICTORY IN UNH HEAD COACH DEBUT AGAINST HOLY CROSS

Wednesday, February 24

4 pm

University of New Hampshire

Holy Cross

DALY LEADS WOMEN'S LAX TO 10-4 VICTORY IN UNH HEAD COACH DEBUT AGAINST HOLY CROSS

2/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

SHAUNNA KAPLAN

HAYLEY RAUSCH

DURHAM, N.H. -- Shaunna Kaplan (Framingham, Mass.) and Hayley Rausch (Severna Park, Md.) recorded five points apiece to lead the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team to a 10-4 victory against the College of the Holy Cross in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon at Memorial Field.

This game was the season opener for UNH and marked the debut as Wildcats' head coach Michael Daly (UNH '90). Holy Cross is now 0-2.

Kaplan finished with one goal and four assists while Rausch, the UNH America East Player of the Game, tallied a career-high four goals and an assist for a personal best of five points. Kate Keagins (Bay Shore, N.Y.; 2g, 1a) and Jo Jo Curro (Amherst, N.H.; 1g, 1a) also had multiple points for the Wildcats.

UNH goalkeeper Kate Gunts (Wilton, Conn.) made six saves. HC counterpart Amy Martin was credited with 15 saves.

The Wildcats opened the scoring 39 seconds into the game when Kaplan finished a feed from Curro. Holy Cross responded with a free-position goal by Megan Fenton at 28:00 to level the score, 1-1.

New Hampshire scored three goals in the next four minutes -- all during a man-up advantage -- to build a 4-1 lead. Keagins gave UNH a lead it would not relinquish, 2-1, with an unassisted tally at 26:33. Rausch, with the assistance of Kaplan, pushed the advantage to 3-1 at 24:38. Keagins won the ensuing draw control, raced down the right wing and found Curro cutting down the middle of the fan for a goal at 24:28.

Rausch struck again at 15:11 -- once again on a pass from Kaplan -- to push the lead to 5-1.

Holy Cross trimmed the deficit to 5-2 on Ali Baird's tally at 9:27. Katie Gardner was credited with an assist.

Rausch's free-position goal at 4:26 reestablished a four-goal cushion, but Maddie Carrellas converted a free position attempt into a Crusaders' goal 28 seconds later to move the score to 6-3.

The Wildcats took that 6-3 lead and a 17-7 shot advantage into halftime.

UNH scored the first three goals of the second half to push the advantage to 9-3. With a teammate on the sideline due to a yellow card infraction, Keagins one-timed Rausch's pass from behind the net into the upper-right corner of the net at 9:12 for a 7-3 lead. UNH then scored a pair of man-up goals at 7:11 and 5:21. Allie Duclos (South Windsor, Conn.) set up Rausch's fourth goal of the game, then Jenny Simpson (New Canaan, Conn.) recorded her first collegiate point by converting Kaplan's pass into a goal.

Holy Cross called time out with 1:40 remaining in the game and Kat Sutton scored with 51 seconds on the clock to make the score 9-4. Ilana Cohen (Andover, Mass.) closed the scoring at :05 when she one-timed Kaplan's pass from behind the net at the right doorstep.

UNH finished the game with a 29-14 shot advantage. Holy Cross had a 16-13 edge in ground balls but committed more turnovers at 25-20.

New Hampshire returns to action Feb. 27 at home against intrastate rival Dartmouth College. Game time at Memorial Field is 1 p.m.