Box Score

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Rutgers women's lacrosse fought back from a first-half hole but could not rally past Monmouth Wednesday at Kessler Field. The Hawks (1-1) scored seven unanswered to start the game and stopped Rutgers' (1-1) comeback bid late in a 12-10 win.

Senior attack Halley Barnes (Garnet Valley, Pa.) paced Rutgers with a career performance, scoring four goals and adding two assists for six points. It was the second consecutive game an RU player set a new career-high, as Kristina Dunphey (Hillsborough, N.J.) scored five goals in the season opener.

Sophomore goalkeeper Bianca Dente (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and rookie Devon Kearns (Marlton, N.J.) each saw time in cage. Dente earned the start and made two saves, while Kearns logged 39:20 minutes of action in relief and made three saves. The game was the first of Kearns' career.

Monmouth came out firing in the first half, scoring seven-straight goals to open the contest. The Hawks' Katlyn Ryan notched five goals in the opening 30 minutes, with Olivia Higson right behind her with three goals.

But RU responded with a 6-1 run to pull within two scores between the first and second halves. Four different Scarlet Knights - Kim Kolodny (Farmingdale, N.Y.), Emily Santana (Springfield Del. County, Pa.), Dunphey, and Barnes - scored during the run.

Monmouth buckled down, though, as the two sides traded scores. Barnes scored her fourth goal of the game with 2:57 to play by making a run around the cage and finishing left, cutting the Hawks lead to 11-10.

On the subsequent possession, the Hawks kept the ball and avoided RU's pressure, eventually ending with a goal from Marial Pierce at the 1:26 mark.

The Scarlet Knights host No. 15 Johns Hopkins at 1 p.m. Sunday in their home opener. The first 500 fans to arrive will receive a 2016 Rutgers women's lacrosse schedule poster. In addition, 100 fans will receive free hot chocolate. The contest will stream live on BTN Plus.

Game Notes

• RU bested MU in shots (23-22) and draw controls (12-11).
• Barnes' six points (4g, 2a) were a new career-high.
• Kolodny tallied three assists for a new career-high.
• Dunphey paced the Scarlet Knights with a career-high three draw controls. Her game-high 10 shots were also a new personal best.
• Junior Macy Scott (Toms River, N.J.) collected a game-high four ground balls, resetting her personal-best mark.
• Santana saw the first action of her RU career Wednesday. She scored twice on two shots and added two ground balls and a caused turnover.
• Mason scooped two ground balls for the second consecutive game.
• Rookie Tess Howland (Glen Ridge, N.J.) joined Santana and Kearns by making her Rutgers debut Wednesday.

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