Gazzola Makes Her Mark Both Offensive And Defensive In Win Against Wesley; Stull Moves To Within One Goal Of 100 For Career

DOVER, Del. – Julia Gazzola (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) was a force to reckon with on both the offensive and defensive ends to power Goucher College past Wesley College 20-11 in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Wednesday.

Gazzola registered five goals and one assist for six points, but her name was also being called on the defensive end after posting a career-high six ground balls and six caused turnovers along with six draw controls. It was her third-straight hat trick and sixth of the season. She now has 25 goals and 10 assists for 35 points on the year.

Camryn Agostino (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Mellville) and Shannon Stull (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) each posted three goals and one assist. Agostino notched her second-straight hat trick while Stull moved to within one tally of making history. The junior will enter Saturday's home game against Moravian needing one score to reach 100 goals for her career. Stull reached 100 career points in her last game.

Emily Flinn (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) added two goals and three assists. The freshman tied a career high with three assists she has recorded on three occasions while she registered her fifth multi-goal performance of the season. The freshman has 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points.

Alyssa Long (Pennsbury, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) notched her first hat trick of the season and third of her career and now has recorded one three-goal performance in each season at Goucher. The junior now has 12 goals and seven assists for 19 points on the year.

The Gophers used a 7-0 run to erase a 2-0 deficit and turn it into a 7-2 lead and never looked back to earn its sixth win of the season going into the Landmark Conference opener on Saturday against Moravian.

Gazzola started the rally with a goal off a Flinn assist at 27:15 before Long tied the game unassisted at 25:05. Gazzola scored unassisted at 20:46 to give the Gophers a 3-2 lead. Stull started her march to 100 goals on the evening with an unassisted tally at 19:55 and then found the twine again at 19:32. Soleil Gagne (Portmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) scored unassisted at 15 seconds later before Flinn capped the run off a feed from Agostino at 18:35 for a 7-2 advantage.

After Wesley momentarily halted the Gopher surge with a goal, Flinn set up Umstead at 13:02 and Long took a feed from Stull at 12:23 to give Goucher a 9-3 lead.

The Wolverines answered with a goal, but the Gophers answers with consecutive markers by Alex DiGiovanni (York, Pa./Dover) (7:27) and Green (5:28) for an 11-4 margin. Wesley scored twice to end the first half to set the score to 11-6 at the break.

Gazzola halted a three-goal run by the Wolverines with her third tally of the night at 22:48 for a 12-7 lead. Stull came within one of the milestone with 21:44 left. 

After another Wesley marker, Flinn set up Gazzola at 16:44 and Long scored unassisted at 16:05 for a 15-8 lead. The Wolverines scored two of the next three goals with a Flinn tally at 13:05 making it a 16-10 Gopher lead.

Agostino scored on a break away from Gazzola at 7:16 before Gazzola found the twine unassisted at 6:31 and Agostino found the twine off a Jordan Tice (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) feeder at 4:33. Wesley scored before the final horn, but the Gophers earned a 20-11 victory.

Gagne added four ground balls and three caused turnovers while Abbie McHerron (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills) made seven saves in the team's sixth win of the year.

Goucher returns to action on Saturday when the squad opens up Landmark Conference play against Moravian. Game time is 1 p.m.