Flinn Lifts Goucher Women's Lacrosse Past Bethany

BALTIMORE, Md. – Emily Flinn (Ashland, Va./Patrick Henry) had a hand in six of the first eight goals to power Goucher College past Bethany College 19-3 in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Sunday.

Flinn, who finished with four goals and a career-best four assists to match her career best of eight points, help the Gophers (7-3) jumped out to an 8-1 lead. She had a natural hat trick of assists thanks to feeders at 22:54, 22:34 and 22:08 and then scored back-to-back 8-meter shots at 21:21 and 20:46 before capping her spurt with her fourth assist of the day at 18:51 for an 8-1 lead.

Flinn has posted five multiple-goal games this season including two with four more after she had a career-best five tallies against Randolph College on March 1 and her four-goal performance Sunday. She has dished out three assists in three matches to go along with her four helpers against the Bison. The freshman ranks third on the team with 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points.

One day after scoring her 100 career goal, Shannon Stull (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) was honored for her career milestone before game with a ceremony and flowers from interim head coach Sarah Woodson. The junior then continued her offensive attack on opposing defenses with four goals against Bethany. She also added five draw controls to rank second on the team with 44 draws this season and she needs eight draw controls for 100 for her career. Stull leads the team and the conference with 43 goals and 53 points.

Julia Gazzola (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) was the beneficiary of three of Flinn's assists to finish with her sixth hat trick of the season and fourth in her last five games. Gazzola ranks second on the squad with 30 goals and 11 assists for 41 points.

Soleil Gagne (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) and Camryn Agostino (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) added a goal and two assists while Alyssa Long (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) found the twine twice and Gabrielle Umstead (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) chipped in a tally and a helper.

Goucher jumped out to a 4-0 lead after Stull converted an 8-meter shot at 23:37. Flinn connected with Gazzola on consecutive scores at 22:54 and 20 seconds later before Flinn found a new partner to feed in Alex DiGiovanni (York, Pa./Dover) at 22:08 to complete her natural hat trick of assists in a span of 46 seconds.

After the Bison got on the board, the Gophers scored the final 12 goals of the half to take a 16-1 lead at the break. 

Flinn started the run with a pair of free-position goals at 21:21 and 20:46. After Agostino set up Mackenzie Nase (Weare, N.H./John Stark Regional) at 19:05 Flinn went back to the Gazzola connection for a tally at 18:51. Gagne took over the feeding responsibilities for the next two goals to Long at 18:33 and Stull at 17:43 for a 12-1 edge.

Agostino scored unassisted at 16:40, Stull converted a free-position chance at 12:58 and another one at 7:41, Long twinkled the twine unassisted at 8:51 and Flinn hit an 8-meter goal at 4:50. Vida Fye (Takoma Park, Md./Albert Einstein) closed the scoring in the first half with a goal off a Danielle Nixon (Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) pass with 1:31 left in the first half to give Goucher a 16-1 edge at the break.

The Gophers scored three times in the final frame. Umstead set up Gagne at 29:37 and then Umstead took it herself at 26:49. Flinn then capped off her great afternoon with a goal off a pass from Agostino at 14:23 to seal a 19-3 victory.

Agostino and Gagne added four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Abbie McHerron (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills) earn the win after facing one shot in the first half while Gillian Sickler (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) made one stop in the second half.

Goucher returns to action on Saturday at Elizabethtown. Game time is 1 p.m.