DeMaio's Career Day Helps Women's Lacrosse Power Past Falcons

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Frostburg State Women's Lacrosse team secured a commanding 21-9 victory over Notre Dame (Ohio) in their Thursday road matchup.
 
In a battle of the top two teams in the MEC in each of the past three seasons, it would be the Falcons to take the early lead, scoring just 10 seconds into the contest. FSU responded less than a minute later, with senior Anna Kearney drawing a foul and scoring off a free position, followed by junior Kerri Hayes notching a goal for a 2-1 lead. At the five-minute mark, senior Camden DeMaio received a pass from graduate Maura O'Neill for another goal, making it three unanswered for the Bobcats. Over the next six minutes, neither team found much in the way of offense, as junior Nicole Gray made a pair of saves in net, while NDC's keeper made one as well. With just over four to play in the first, the Falcons brought a goal back, but Kearney scored her second with 1:14 on the clock and Gray made a late save to end the period up 4-2.
 
Gray continued to stand firm in net to start the second, blocking two shots before Kearney turned provider to sophomore Neila Haney five minutes in. Frostburg continued to churn out their offense, with Hayes scoring a man-up goal on a DeMaio assist, to which NDC responded with a caused turnover and goal for a 6-3 score. As the clock ticked inside the final five of the half, Haney, Hayes, and junior Julia Badolato began to put the game out of reach, getting a trio of goals less than a minute apart to push the score to 9-3. DeMaio added another off a feed from sophomore Daniella Boss, before the Falcons finally ended the streak with just over a minute to play. Any momentum was quickly shut down by DeMaio, who scored on a free position to end the half with 43 seconds left and an 11-4 FSU lead.
 
After a quiet opening couple of minutes, DeMaio took advantage of a free position to get the scoring started three minutes into the third. A minute and a half later, Badolato tried to do the same but was denied, as the Falcons surged offensively at the other end, putting away three goals within three minutes to suddenly pull within 12-7. With yet another goal on her day, DeMaio helped Frostburg gain their mojo back, scoring off an O'Neill pass, then Gray stepped up once more on a free position save to keep the lead at six. Junior Emily Lamoreaux was the next to take advantage of an NDC foul with her first of the game, then the sides traded cards and man-up goals for a 15-8 game. Graduate Lilly Stephens ended the frame with a solo goal, giving the Bobcats a 16-8 lead headed to the fourth.
 
The final quarter was all FSU from the start, as O'Neill and Hayes scored 30 seconds apart off assists from DeMaio and Haney, respectively, pushing the lead to double digits. DeMaio, freshman Maya Mosslih, and sophomore Jessie Bare each caused a turnover over the next four minutes, as another Gray stop paved the way for Stephens to put another one home for a 19-8 advantage. The Falcons got a score with seven minutes on the clock, but it would be their final tally of the day, as Stephens put a Brittyn Leonard pass into the net, with the junior then feeding O'Neill to finish the scoring at 21-9 Frostburg.
 
DeMaio led the Bobcats offensively with a career-high five goals, while dishing out a pair of assists for a game-high seven points. Hayes was just behind with four scores, as Stephens, Kearney, Badolato, Lamoreaux, Haney, and O'Neill all recorded multi-point performances. Bare had top marks defensively with a pair of caused turnovers and groundballs, while Gray made 14 saves in net on 23 shots faced.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 6-5 overall, while Notre Dame falls to 4-8. FSU returns to the field on Sunday, April 7, as they stay on the road to face Charleston (WV) at 12 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.