PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Penn State women's lacrosse team used a 13-0 first half run to pull away from Duquesne in a 17-6 win at Rooney Field on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions trailed 2-1 with 26:33 to go in the first half but rattled off the final 13 goals of the half, and the first two of the second half, to take control. Penn State improved to 6-7 overall, while Duquesne dropped to 8-7. The Nittany Lions won their 35th straight regular season game against a Pennsylvania school.
Junior Maria Auth led the Nittany Lions with five points, including three goals and two assists, to lead 10 Nittany Lions with at least one goal. Junior Kristin Roberto secured her second hat-trick of the season with a career-best three goals, all coming in the first half. Senior Kayla Brisolari and junior Shannon Moore each contributed two goals and an assist, while senior Kelly Daggett scored twice. Brisolari added six draw controls.
Freshman Taylor Suplee started in goal, making six saves in the first half. Sophomore Lucy Lowe started the second half, making four stops, and junior Madison Cunningham closed out the game with two saves.
The Dukes were paced by three goals from junior Maddie Hart. Kirsten Barnes, Samantha Cirino and Alana Piano each scored once. Maddy Curtis started and made one save in goal.
Duquesne got on the board first on a tally by Hart just 16 seconds into the game. The Nittany Lions responded with a goal by Daggett, who picked off a pass and carried the ball through the Dukes defense and sent the ball to the back of the net. Duquesne re-took the lead on a score by Piano with 26:33 remaining in the half.
Penn State responded with a 13-0 run to close the first half. Brisolari sparked the run with a goal, off an assist by junior Quinn Nicolai, followed by a goal by Roberto.
Katie Schluederberg found the net for the first time this season, off a feed by Moore, with 17:31 to go in the half. Auth scored just over a minute later. Roberto scored the next two goals, clinching her second hat-trick of the season, both off free-position attempts.
Nicolai sent a snipe to the net, off a dish by Auth, before Moore scored PSU's next two goals. The first came on an assist by Sydney Wolfington and the second came on a free-position look. Yasmain Hamood scored her fourth of the season off an assist by Auth at the 7:25 mark to give Penn State a 11-2 advantage. Auth scored a man-up goal less than a minute later.
A free-position goal by Brisolari, with 4:50 to go in the half, and a tally by Wolfington, off a feed by Mary Muldoon, with 1:08 remaining, gave the Nittany Lions a 14-2 advantage at the break.
The Nittany Lions picked off where they left off at the break. Auth found the net, off a dime by Brisolari, with 28:11 to go in the game. Daggett followed with a free-position goal at the 24:54 mark to give PSU a 16-2 lead.
Duquesne scored the next three goals. Hart found the net on two straight free-position shots, with the second coming with 15:03 remaining. Barnes added a tally with 7:01 remaining.
A Triandafils connection stopped the Dukes' run. With 3:18 left in the game, Erin found Sophia in the middle of the defense for a goal. Duquesne's Cirino responded with a goal with 48 seconds remaining.
The Nittany Lions travel to Baltimore, Md. on Friday for an important Big Ten matchup with No. 19 Johns Hopkins. First draw is scheduled for 5 p.m. on ESPNU. Johns Hopkins is 10-5 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play.
Junior Kristin Roberto earned her 2nd career hat-trick