Pacific Index

Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Reese Moriyama Pacific's Monica Smith (23) passes a Puget Sound defender, ready to shoot, in the Boxers 15-10 win over the Loggers at Lincoln Park Stadium. It was Pacific's first ever lacrosse win over UPS.

Media Credit: Reese Moriyama Pacific's Molly Bailey (9) gets the shot away as she hits the ground in front of a UPS defender.

FOREST GROVE - It was a historic day in more ways than one for Pacific women's lacrosse Saturday as the Boxers won the first season opener in their four-year history and posted their first ever win over Puget Sound, 15-10, at Lincoln Park Stadium.

While never trailing, the Boxers (1-0) did not put the game away until late by scoring six goals in the final seven minutes of play to pull away from a 9-9 tie. Six different Pacific players contributed goals down the stretch with Monica Smith (So., Wilsonville, Ore.) earning credit for the game-winner.

Kaitlyn Harper (Fr., Oregon City, Ore.) led Pacific with four goals while Smith, Kelly Stevens (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Natalie Getchell (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) and Christine Nishida (Sr., Kailua, Hawaii) each scored two goals. Sofia Lama led the Loggers (0-1) with four goals. Katie Schlesinger and Hanna Lucke each added a pair.

The two teams engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle for the first 30 minutes. The Boxers managed to pull ahead 3-1 on Harper's second goal of the day at the 21:56 mark and held a 4-2 lead on Getchell's strike with 19 minutes to go in the half. Lama and Schlesinger broke a six-minutes scoreless period with back-to-back goals to tie it at 4-4 and the teams went into halftime tied at 5-5.

Harper and Kristen Dick (Fr., Auburn, Wash.) opened the second half by scoring two goals to give Pacific a 7-5 lead, but the Loggers used strikes by Lama and Anna Gunderson to tie it once again at 7-7 10 minutes into the stanza. Nishida and Smith responded with goals at 19:42 and 17:09, respectively, to put the Boxers back up two before Schlesinger deposited back-to-back goals to tie it again at 9-9.

Stevens would provide the spark for the Boxers' spirited run down the stretch, connecting with 7:16 left in one of two goals for the freshman in the rally. Smith gave Pacific the lead for good with her free position goal at the 6:19 mark. Lama scored Puget Sound's last goal with 5:15 to do as the Boxers scored three in the final five minutes to put it away.

Stevens and Harper each had six shots for the Boxers. Harper also led Pacific with six draw controls while Sydney Baker (Fr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Dick each had a pair of caused turnovers. Rachel Wong (Fr., Oregon City. Ore.) led the way with four ground balls.

Brittany Hartmann (Fr., Portland, Ore.) earned the win in goal in her first collegiate game, making 16 saves. Ana Calciano took the loss for the Loggers, allowing 10 goals and making 11 saves in 45 minutes of work.

Pacific returns to the field on Thursday, taking on their Northwest rival as Linfield visits for a 6 p.m. game. Puget Sound faces Linfield on Sunday.

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