March 25, 2008

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Senior attacker Maddy Booth and junior midfielder Kristin Ruminski each contributed three goals and one assist in the Leopards' efforts against Sacred Heart (5-5) on Tuesday afternoon. Lafayette kept it close in the first half but a 5-0 Pioneer run in the second half led to a 17-10 loss for the Leopards in Fairfield.

Junior Emily Archibald was the first to score on either side, giving Lafayette an early 1-0 lead just 34 seconds into the game. The Pioneers answered with their first of five-score run over the next 10 minutes of play. Ruminski halted the rally by netting a goal off a pass from Booth at 20:11. The pair reversed the play five minutes later and Booth scored her first goal of the afternoon to bring the Leopards to within three (6-3).

Ten seconds later, Ruminski found the back of the net for the second time before Sacred Heart added two goals of its own. Archibald finished the half the same way she began it, scoring her second unassisted goal of the afternoon to end the half with Lafayette down 8-5.

Sacred Heart's Liz Ottey opened the second half by scoring her second goal of the day off a free position shot t at 28:54. She was one of three Pioneers to score off a penalty, while the Leopards were unable to convert any of their six eight-meter shot attempts. Freshman attacker Lauren Brown followed up another Sacred Heart score with her 12th goal of the season before the Pioneers embarked on their second 5-0 run at 20:29.

Booth added two more goals and Ruminski and sophomore Courtney Bryan each contributed one in the second half. Sacred Heart's Katie Salamone and Amanda Williams finished the day with four goals apiece and Mary Montesarchio had a career-high seven assists.

The two teams were evenly matched in shots with Lafayette shooting 28 and Sacred Heart having 29. The Leopards won almost twice as many draw controls as the Pioneers (19-10) with Ruminski leading the team with five and Booth winning four.

Sophomore Emily Bjork made eight saves while facing 24 shots in her eighth start of the season. Sophomore Sofie Grossman made her first appearance in goal for the final 17:19 of the game and made one save while facing five shots. She played defense for Lafayette in her freshman season.

The Leopards (0-9) will return home to face league opponent Colgate on Friday at Rappolt Field at 7 p.m.