FINAL SCORE: Vermont 13, New Hampshire 4
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The UVM women's lacrosse team held New Hampshire to only one goal in the second half and earned a 13-4 conference home win on Saturday afternoon. The Catamounts have won two of their first three games to start the season and stand at 2-0 in America East play. The Wildcats slip to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the league standings.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | CatamounTV Highlights
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"I give huge props to our team because this was a win that they deserved and earned," said head coach Sarah Dalton Graddock. "We had a great second half and Sophie was outstanding in goal.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ava Vasile got the attack started in the first minute but UNH's Rylee Leonard tied the game at 1-1 three minutes later.
• The Cats used goals from Riley Halloran and McKenzie Ballard to jump in front 3-1. UNH's Julia Neyland cut into UVM's lead, 3-2. The Green and Gold rattled off three unanswered goals from Dani Paterno, Maris Large, and another one from Ballard in a four-minute span for a 6-2 edge with eight minutes left in the first half.
• The Wildcats took advantage of a UVM penalty near the six-minute mark, but Ballard completed the first-half hat trick with a woman-down goal late in the period to send the Cats into the break with a 7-3 lead.
• Vermont kept its foot on the gas pedal with two more goals from Paterno and Vasile to start the second half.
• Nyland added UNH's final goal of the day at the 17:18 mark, then the Cats closed out the game with four straight goals including a pair from Grace Giancola for the final margin of victory.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Vasile recorded a five-point game with two goals and three assists. She picked up two ground balls and won four draws.
• Ballard followed with a four-point performance with a hat trick and one assist.
• A quartet of Cats added two points apiece – Giancola, Halloran, Large, and Paterno.
• Goalie Sophie McLaughlin set a career high with 16 saves and logged three ground balls.
• The four goals allowed are the fewest surrendered to an opponent since giving up three goals to Binghamton on April 27, 2019.
• UVM's victory snapped a four-game skid against its twin state rival. 
• When the Cats Win, the Community Wins. With each Catamount win, Vermont Mutual Insurance donates $100 to the Vermont Foodbank. For 2020 they donated $15,000 to Spectrum Youth and Family Services. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support. Vermont Mutual Insurance, protecting Vermonters since 1828.

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will travel to Binghamton next Saturday (March 20) for a 4 p.m. start. The contest will be streamed for free at AmericaEast.TV.