HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The University of Scranton women's lacrosse team (2-6, 1-0 Landmark) raced out to a 7-0 lead and knocked off previously unbeaten Juniata (8-1, 0-1 Landmark) with an 11-5 victory over the Eagles in the Landmark Conference opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Gibbel Stadium in Huntingdon.

Junior Devyn Tanajewski (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) won the opening draw control for the Royals and fed classmate Kayleigh Stalter (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) who found the back of the net 0:34 into the game for an early 1-0 lead. Just two over minutes later, sophomore Molly McCarren (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) scored off of an assist from fellow sophomore Grace Lane (Long Beach, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) and Scranton held a 2-0 edge. Later in the quarter, Lane and Tanajewski both scored on free position shots and junior Erin Reich (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) added an unassisted goal of her own that made it a 5-0 game after one.

In the second quarter, Reich struck again at the 11:48 mark on a free position goal and then fed junior Lauren Crotty (Long Beach, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) for a goal with just over two minutes left in the half. Scranton put forth a dominant defensive effort for much of the game and the Eagles did not get on the board until the final minute of play in the second as the visitors took a 7-1 lead into the locker room.

The two teams each scored a lone goal in the third quarter as Tanajewski notched her second of the day to extend the lead to 8-1 and Scranton held an 8-2 lead headed into the fourth. Juniata began to fight back and cut the lead to 8-4 thanks to a pair of early goals, but Tanajewski answered with a free position goal just 0:22 later and the Royals scored the next three to put the game out of reach.

Tanajewski had three goals, an assist, four ground balls, three draw controls and three caused turnovers to lead the way for the Royals, while Reich added two goals and two assists. Crotty also added two goals in the victory and sophomore Shannon DiDominica (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) added a goal and a ground ball.

Junior Nicolina Mauro (South Hempstead, N.Y./South Side) collected three ground balls and also recorded three caused turnovers on the day to go along with four caused turnovers from classmate Grace Dabulas (Westfield, N.J./Westfield). In goal for Scranton, sophomore Lauren Boldis (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) made eight saves to earn her second victory of the season.

Skyler Stevens paced Juniata with a hat trick.

The Royals will return to action on Tuesday night at Kean with action slated to get underway at 7 p.m.

--ROYALS--