Monmouth Women’s Lacrosse improved to 3-0 with wins over both La Salle and Wagner last week. It is their first 3-0 start since the COVID shortened 2020 season. Senior attacker Shea Berigan once again led the way for the Hawks, scoring a hat trick in both victories. She already has 10 goals on the season through just three games.
Wednesday was the first game of the week for the Hawks, as they hosted La Salle in their home opener. The Kessler Stadium stands were closed to the public due to ice and snow accumulation. After falling down 2-1 early, Monmouth scored three straight goals to take a 4-2 lead. La Salle scored two goals about a minute apart to tie the game at four, and the two teams exchanged goals before halftime to head into the locker room knotted up at five.
A little under two minutes into the second half, freshman midfielder Olivia Castaldo scored to give Monmouth a 6-5. This would be the first of eleven straight goals for the Hawks. From the 13:19 mark of the third quarter all the way until the 5:41 mark of the fourth quarter, Monmouth outscored La Salle 11-0. In this stretch, Berigan and Castaldo had two goals, while seven other players had a goal each. Monmouth would go on to win 16-6.
Graduate attacker Lauren Rismani ended up leading the team in points despite only having one goal. She had a remarkable five assists for six total points. Freshman midfielder Marlania Grimm had three goals and two assists for five points, scoring a hat trick in just her second ever collegiate game. Berigan had a hat trick for three points Senior midfielder Brooke Lacy scored a goal and two assists for three points of her own. Senior midfielder Sophia Lymberis scored two goals, along with Castaldo. Junior midfielder Cara Major, sophomore midfielder Paige Kidd, and sophomore midfielder Chloe Key all scored goals of their own. Key’s goal was the first of her collegiate career. Sophomore midfielder Allyson Ryan also added an assist for her first collegiate point.
After handling business against La Salle, the Hawks traveled on the road to take on the Wagner Seahawks on Saturday, Feb. 14. After a slow first quarter that saw Wagner take a 5-3 lead, Monmouth once again went on a major scoring run. From the 14:20 mark of the second quarter to the 9:30 mark of the fourth quarter, Monmouth scored 10 unanswered goals. It was the second time in two games that Monmouth went on a scoring run of 10 goals or higher. This run vaulted the Hawks to a 13-6 victory.
Berigan scored three goals and added two assists for five points in this game, tying a team high with Rismani, who only scored one goal but added four assists. Rismani had nine assists over a two game span and her total is up to 12 on the season. Lymberis scored a hat trick with three goals and an assist, while Lacey also scored a hat trick of her own with three goals. Graduate attacker Grace Curtis scored two goals, and Ryan scored the first goal of her collegiate career after scoring her first point the game prior.
The three wins the Hawks have achieved in the first three games have already matched the total amount of wins they had in last year’s 3-13 season. On Wednesday, the Hawks will play their second straight road game in SHI Stadium against Rutgers. The Hawks have played Rutgers every year since 2006 besides 2014 and 2021. The last time they defeated them was in that 2020 season that they also started 3-0 in. That game will be under the lights with a 6 p.m. start time. On Sunday, Feb. 22, Monmouth will host Youngstown State in Kessler Stadium for a noon game as they continue their non-conference slate.
