FREDERICK, Md. -- The Bridgewater College women's lacrosse team opened the 2024 season with a 15-9 win on the road against Hood on Wednesday evening.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Bridgewater 15, Hood 9
Records: Bridgewater 1-0; Hood 0-2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Bridgewater got the first score of the game as Lauren Roberts, who returns as the team's leading scorer, found the back of the cage less than 45 seconds into the contest. Hood responded as Olivia Pickett scored at the 13:13 mark of the game.The Blazers took an early 2-1 lead as Mackenzie Demaio scored less than a minute later. BC was able to respond as Paige Mayers scored her first collegiate goal off a pass from Aunnie Hacker to knot the game at 2-2. Mayers gave the Eagles the lead with 5:36 left in the first quarter before Grace Pietro scored to give Bridgewater a 4-2 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
• Roberts started off the second period with her second of the game before Pickett netted her second of the game to make the score 5-3 in favor of the home side. Kaity Petersheim scored unassisted to increase the lead to 6-3 to begin a three-goal stretch for the Eagles. Roberts completed her hat trick and Jenna Entsminger added a goal off a pass from Brooke Hanson to make it 8-3 with 12:02 still left in the half. Avery Stanley scored to keep the Blazers in the game, but Roberts and Petersheim connected to make the score 9-4.Demaio cut into the deficit with a goal, but Madelaine Godat scored one more to give the Eagles a 10-5 lead at the break.
• Roberts got the first goal of the third quarter before Abigayle Zaudtke had back-to-back goals in her first collegiate game to give the Eagles a 13-5 advantage with 6:56 left in the third. The Blazers scored three straight to make things interesting at 13-8, but Ashley Venit ended the run with a goal off a feed from Hacker to end the third quarter with a 14-8 lead.
• Mayers scored in an extra man opportunity to get the Eagles to 15 goals and Demaio scored once more for Hood to get to the final scoreline of 15-9.

GAME NOTES

• Roberts led the way with five goals to go with five ground balls while Mayers also recorded a hat trick and grabbed three draw controls, a ground ball and caused two turnovers. 
• Zaudtke had two goals, as well, and Petersheim, Entsminger, Venit, Pietro and Godat all scored as well. 
• Hacker led the team with two assists, while Petersheim, Entsminger, Venit and Hanson all had an assist as well.
•  Pietro paced the Eagles with 11 draw controls.
• Behind Roberts' team-high five ground balls, Venit and Tavin Krick each had two.
• Krick, Mayers and Faith Bartos each caused a pair of turnovers, while Caris Cianelli, Pietro, Rachael Robinson and Lindsay Davis caused one each.
• Robinson made six saves in all 60 minutes for the win, while Hood goalie Brooke Harper also stopped six shots.

Up Next
Bridgewater returns to action at Methodist to kick off Spring Break on Monday, Feb. 26, at 5 pm.