Holy Cross secured its first win of the season with an 18-8 victory over Stonehill at Kuzniewski Field. The Crusaders, now 1-2, started strong by scoring nine of the first ten goals and led 9-1 early in the second quarter. Sophomore Hadley Cepiel led Holy Cross with a career-high eight points, scoring six goals and providing two assists.
Cepiel and junior Annabel Brennan each scored three goals during the team’s initial run. Stonehill responded with three consecutive goals to narrow the gap, but Holy Cross entered halftime ahead 12-5. The Crusaders extended their lead to 16-6 in the third quarter and kept Stonehill scoreless for the final 16 minutes of play.
Brennan ended the game with four goals and one assist. Senior Racheli Levy-Smith contributed significantly on draw controls, tying for the second-highest single-game total in program history with 16, while also recording four caused turnovers and two ground balls. Junior Jenn Prince added two goals and two assists, and junior Kate Avitabile provided four assists. In goal, senior Mackenzie Creagh made six saves.
For Stonehill, Grace Murphy was the leading scorer with four goals.
Cepiel’s performance tied her for seventh place on Holy Cross’s single-game list for goals scored and ninth for points in a game.
Holy Cross will play next on Thursday, Feb. 19, traveling to Brown for a game scheduled at 5:30 p.m.
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