4/12/2006 - (Hoboken, NJ) – Seven games during a 13-day stretch later, the Mount Saint Vincent Women’s Lacrosse team now knows what it takes to compete in Division III lacrosse. During a brutal stretch that included nearly 1/2 of the team’s 2006 schedule during a less than two week span, the Dolphins finished 2-5, but at the same time experienced the kind of growth and learning needed as the budding program enters the home stretch of its second season. The latest lesson came on Wednesday, when Freshman Ciara O’Donnell (Bethpage, NY/Kellenberg) netted her fifth hat trick of the 2006 season, and junior goalie Tara Staples (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendahowa HS) came in relief to make 10 saves during 36 minutes of action while allowing only seven goals, but Mount Saint Vincent had a two-game winning streak broken by Stevens on Wednesday, 16-4. With the loss, the Dolphins are now 5-7 overall, and 2-2 in Skyline Conference play with two Skyline games remaining.

The game was all Stevens from the opening draw as the Ducks jumped out to an 8-0 lead during the game’s first 19 minutes. O’Donnell put the Dolphins on the board at 10:01, and the two teams traded goals during the closing minutes of the opening half as the Mount trailed 10-2 at halftime. The second half was much of the same as Stevens outscored the Mount 6-2 during the final 30 minutes en route to the 12-goal win. The game could have been even worse for the Dolphins, but Staples kept in to keep the Mount in the game. She entered the game 24 minutes after the opening draw, and stopped 10 out of 17 shots during the rest of the game in what was her finest outing of 2006.

Sophomore Chanel Comis (Durham, NC/Cardinal Gibbons) also scored for the Mount, but was out-scooped 30-15 and out-shot 37-16. The Dolphins also allowed five free position goals while going 0 for 2 in penalty shots.

With the string of games over, the Mount now has a break of more than 48 hours between games for the first time in nearly three weeks. After the Easter Weekend break, Mount Saint Vincent returns home on Tuesday, April 18 when they host Centenary College in a must-win if the Dolphins are to advance to the Skyline Conference post-season. The game will take place at Columbia University’s Wien Stadium at 4:00 p.m.