Lacrosse wins season opener

The Lions broke away early and never looked back, as the Columbia women’s lacrosse team captured win number one in its first game of the season against Monmouth 18-13. This is the second straight year that the Light Blue has opened the season with a win against the Hawks.

The first half turned out to be the decisive one, as Columbia outscored Monmouth 8-3. The Lions got the offense going early with two quick goals by junior Gabrielle Geronimos. At 10 minutes into the game, Columbia had a 3-0 lead, thanks to a third goal by sophomore Taylor Gattinella. Just 34 seconds after the Gattinella goal, Monmouth’s Shawn Evans scored unassisted, chipping away at the lead. However, the Lions would not give up the early advantage, as they fired back with three goals in four minutes, building the lead to 6-1 halfway through the first half. In the next 15 minutes, Monmouth would outscore Columbia 2-1. With time winding down in the first half, Geronimos, off a Kelly Buechel assist, nailed the buzzer-beater, giving Columbia the five-goal lead.

The second half saw significantly more goals. With 21:02 left in the second half, Monmouth began a four-goal run that lasted just under two minutes. The Light Blue did not back down, scoring five goals in the last 13 minutes while limiting the Hawks to two.

Geronimos led the way for Columbia, scoring five goals on six shots. Columbia senior Brittany Shannon, also had an impressive game, posting four goals, and an assist. The Lions’ goaltender, sophomore Karlee Blank, played every second of the game, collecting the win as well as 11 saves.

With an early victory under their belts, the Lions will look to carry the momentum into their next game this Wednesday against Bucknell.