POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – It was a fantastic season opener for the Vassar College women's lacrosse team, which posted a 13-6 victory over Drew University on Friday evening on Weinberg Turf. The Brewers are now 1-0, while the Rangers shoulder their first loss of the season to move to 2-1.

A tight game saw momentum shift at the 15:22 mark. Tied 1-1, the Brewers broke the contest wide open with seven straight goals to grab the 8-1 advantage. Sophomore midfielder Caeli Porette (Stony Point, NY), who tallied the game's first goal, tacked on a pair back-to-back, while senior captain Kelly Pushie (Mahwah, NJ) also added a pair.

The Rangers battled back with 2:39 in the first half, but a shot from rookie attack Kateri Sanseviro (Bayport, NY) converted a pass from Pushie to send the Brewers into halftime with the 9-2 edge.

Second half action opened with a solo shot from sophomore attack Melanie Silverman (Southbury, CT). Drew senior Allie DiDario (Whitehouse Station, NJ) sent a pass from sophomore attack Hailey Simmons (New York, NY) beyond the reach of VC keeper Jackie Molloy (Buffalo Grove, IL) at 22:48.

Vassar went on a 3-0 run as Pushie, Porette and Sanseviro each scored in a less than two minute span, pushing the Brewers advantage to a 10-goal (13-3) differential. The running clock was shortlived as Drew burst back into the contest as Simmons scored at 17:40 to cut the margin to nine (13-4). DiDario added another tally at 11:58, while freshman Maggie Neally (Frederick, MD) tallied a free position goal with 4:48 to play. Despite the momentum, the Rangers were unable to get closer as the VC defense held strong.

Leading the Brewers was Porette who notched a game-best four goals. Pushie poured in three goals and a game-high two assists, while Sanseviro made her collegiate debut with three goals. Porette also posted a game-best four draw controls with four ground balls and a caused turnover. Senior defender Sydney Nemphos (Baltimore, MD) added a game-high four caused turnovers and a team-best six ground balls. In goal, Molloy earned the win with seven saves in 53:12 minutes of action. Rookie Brooke Perlman (Princeton, NJ) came on in the final 6:48, making two stops.

For the Rangers, DiDario and  Simmons each recoded two goals, with Simmons adding a match-high two assists. DiDario posted a game-best seven ground balls, while also recording three caused turnovers. Sophomore midfielder Meliha Emini (Long Branch, NJ) had a game-high four draw controls, while DiDario and junior goalie Katiana Michalski (Eastchester, NY) each notched three caused turnovers. Michalski shouldered the loss, recording eight saves.

Vassar owned the advantage in shots by a 28-24 margin. The ground balls edge went to the Brewers, 29-20, while in draw controls, VC held a narrow 11-10 lead. Vassar also went 4-10 on free position attempts, while also posting a 20-26 margin on the clear.

The Brewers return to the field on Wednesday in a 6pm match against Skidmore College on Weinberg Turf Field. Drew is back in action on Tuesday, facing off against Lebanon Valley in South Carolina at 9:30am.