March 25, 2016 Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Another offensive onslaught by Rutgers women's lacrosse gave the Scarlet Knights their second win in three games Friday night against Hofstra. Five different players posted multi-goal games, led by senior captain Halley Barnes (Garnet Valley, Pa.), as RU held off a feisty Pride squad, 18-13, at James M. Shuart Stadium.
"Tonight was a great overall team effort," said head coach Laura Brand-Sias. "We made big defensive stops when we needed them and our control and composure on offense was some of the best we've had."
That composure enabled Rutgers (3-7) to end the game on a 3-1 run and finish a sharp performance leading into Big Ten Conference competition. The last three RU goals were all unassisted off the sticks of Kristin Kocher (Medford, N.J.) - her second - Amanda Turturro (Farmingdale, N.J.), and Kerri Puckhaber (Wantagh, N.Y.) to build the lead to 18-12 before a late Hofstra (1-6) goal.
Turturro, thriving in her feeder role, shattered her career-high with four assists against the Pride and notched a personal-best five points with her second half score. She leads Rutgers with 12 assists on the year.
Hat tricks by senior attack Kim Kolodny (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and junior midfielder Macy Scott (Toms River, N.J.) padded the attack. Kolodny and Scott posted their sixth and second multi-goal outings of the year, respectively. Not to be outdone, leading scorer Kristina Dunphey (Hillsborough, N.J.) made it five consecutive games with at least two goals.
Rutgers outgained the Pride in shots, 37-22, and ground balls, 11-8. The Scarlet Knights have outshot the opposition in five games this season, Friday sending their most shots at cage since 43 against Cincinnati in a 21-8 win on May 2, 2010.
RU led, 9-8, at halftime, as the Pride came back from multi-goal deficits twice to tie the score. Hofstra's Lindsay Scott notched her 20th of the season at 6:48 to make it 8-8 with time winding down, but Barnes' second of the stanza gave the Scarlet Knights a 9-8 advantage entering the break. Kolodny and Scott each added a pair of goals in the opening half.
Barnes opened the second half scoring to spark a 4-1 run out of the gates, and Hofstra never got closer than two goals the rest of the way.
Freshman Devon Kearns (Marlton, N.J.) earned the start, but sophomore Bianca Dente (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) closed it out for her second win of the year. She made three saves.
The Scarlet Knights begin Big Ten play on Saturday, April 2 against No. 10/9 Penn State in University Park, Pa.
Game Notes
- The Scarlet Knights have won two of their last three games and have scored at least 18 goals in both wins in that span.
- Rutgers recorded its most shots since rattling off 43 in a 21-8 rout over Cincinnati on May 2, 2010.
- Five players posted multi-goal efforts Friday for the second time in three games. Five players also had multi-goal games in the 19-7 win over Lafayette.
- Turturro set a new career-high with five points and four assists.
- Dunphey, the team's leading scorer with 24 goals, notched her fifth-straight multi-goal effort. She tied her career-high with three draw controls.
- Barnes led Rutgers with four goals and is now six points away from 100 for her RU career.
- Kolodny's hat trick gives her 89 points in her Rutgers career, making her 11 shy of the century mark.
- Scott broke out for a career-high three goals and four points Friday, adding the fifth assist of her career. She has 11 points this season (9g, 2a).
- Sophomore Joanna Reilly (Spring Lake, N.J.) put together a three-point game with a goal and two assists, her second multi-point output in three games. The two assists were a new career-high.
- Puckhaber got in the goal column for the third time this season.
- Rutgers improved its series lead against Hofstra to 23-10 all-time. RU has beaten Hofstra and Villanova 23 times, more than any other teams in program history.
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