EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) —
Alexie Romanelli (Jr. - Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) tallied the 100th point of her career as the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's lacrosse team beat Saint Benedict 18-13 on Wednesday at Simpson Field. The Blugolds built a solid lead in the first half and held on in the second half to win their home opener.
Romanelli notched four points to surpass 100 for her career. She became the second player in program history to pass the milestone.
Reegan Werner (So. - Farmington, Minn.) and
Victoria Shea (Fr. - Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Indian Trail) scored four goals apiece to power the Blugolds (2-1). UW-Eau Claire outscored the Bennies (1-3) 11-6 in the opening half.
The Blugolds scored the first four goals of the contest, with each coming from a different player.
Devon Crews (So. - St. Louis, Mo./Rockwood Summit) scored the opener, and Romanelli, Shea and Werner all followed with goals of their own.
Samantha Burns (Jr. - Mahtomedi, Minn.) also added a first-quarter goal and the Blugolds carried a 5-3 lead into the second period.
UW-Eau Claire scored the first four goals of the second period as well, with scores from Crews,
Peyton Gullickson (So. - Rosemount, Minn.), Burns and Shea. It put the Blugolds ahead 9-3, but the Bennies didn't go away. Saint Benedict scored three goals of its own and trailed 11-6 at halftime after goals from Werner and
Jess Stiller (Fr. - Evergreen, Colo.).
Saint Benedict scored the first three goals of the third quarter to narrow the deficit to 11-9.
Paige Kiani (Fr. - New Brighton, Minn./Irondale) responded with back-to-back goals for the Blugolds late in the period to make it a 13-9 lead for UW-Eau Claire entering the final quarter.
Saint Benedict pulled within three of the lead in the fourth quarter, but a pair of goals apiece from Werner and Shea helped the Blugolds put the game away.
Romanelli, Shea and Werner all finished with four points apiece. Werner and Shea also had eight and five draw controls, respectively.
Alexandria Shea (Jr. - Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Indian Trail) made 11 saves in net to earn the second win of the season.
UW-Eau Claire converted all four of its free position shots. The Blugolds outshot the Bennies 36-28 and had a 24-7 advantage in ground balls.
The Blugolds return to action on Saturday, March 16, when they visit Beloit College. Game time is 1 p.m.
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