HAMILTON – The Colgate women's lacrosse program opened the 2021 season in stunning fashion as the Raiders ran head to a 20-2 victory over St. Bonaventure in the home opener.
 
Highlighting the program's depth was the nine different Raiders who scored in the nonconference matchup, including four who notched their first of their careers at Colgate.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate quickly took charge as Grace Bowers got Colgate on the board just 11 seconds after the draw. Shortly thereafter, Eliza Soutter made it a 3-0 game before St. Bonaventure got on the board with 23:50 remaining in the opening half, but the Raiders powered ahead behind a Noelle Patterson hat trick for a 6-1 lead just over 10:00 in.
 
After transfer Sarah Harding scored her first of her career for the Raiders, Soutter capped a hat trick of her own on a free position attempt. After more first career goals by Eliza Farriss and Kyra Lucey, the clock would begin to run with 12:02 remaining in the first half behind Colgate's 11-1 lead.
 
The duo combined to each notch another before the horn, as the Raiders went to the locker room with a 13-1 lead after 30:00.
 
When returning for the second half, Soutter make an impact early by scoring her team-leading fourth of the day in the opening minutes. After Claudia Pilcher picked up her second of the day, by dodging the defenders, St. Bonaventure was able to sink a quick stick goal to snap Colgate's 12-goal run midway through the half.
 
Three different Raiders went on to find the back of the cage, increasing Colgate's lead to 18-2 heading into the final 10:00. After the visitors opted for their third goalie of the game, Courtney Quirk added a second tally to her total for a 19-2 advantage. There was still time for more though, as first-year Catie Lang recorded the first of her career in the final minute to cap the 20-2 victory.
 

Take a peek at the highlights in Colgate's 20-2 victory over St. Bonaventure! ?? https://t.co/qB29kYjxDp

— Colgate Women's Lacrosse (@ColgateWLax) February 19, 2021

 
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• In her sophomore season, Eliza Soutter led the squad with four goals. She added a pair of assists for a career-high of six points on the day.
• Matching the six-point performance was first-year Kyra Lucey by the combination of two goals and four assists.
• Fellow first-year Eliza Farriss made an strong start in her first collegiate game as she added two assists to a hat trick performance for a five-point night.
• Named Preseason All-Patriot League, midfielder Noelle Patterson posted a hat trick, along with winning a team-high of six draw controls. With the draw controls, Patterson moves into fifth all-time in program history with her 116 career draw control wins.
• Making her first collegiate start was first-year goalie Amelia Cunningham. The Rye, N.Y., native tallied five saves and just two goals against through a full 60:00. She also held strong on St. Bonaventure's free position attempts, as it went 0-for-4 when one-on-one at the arc.
• Overall, nine different Raiders scored, with 10 landing on the scoresheet in the team's 20 goals.
• The 20 goals marked the highest scoring offense for the Raiders since a 20-10 win on April 14, 2018 against American.
• On the other end of the field, the two goals allowed is the fewest since a 14-2 win over Delaware State on April 7, 2013.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 20, St. Bonaventure 2
 
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate opens the season with a 1-0 record.
• St. Bonaventure begins the season 0-1 overall.
 
HEAD COACH KATHY TAYLOR'S TAKE
"I couldn't have been happier with the way our team showed up today. We had a first-year goalie in the cage who played outstanding, our defense was stoic in front of her. In our midfield, the draw controls were outstanding. Cara O'Reilly just dominates with Noelle Patterson and Grace Bowers. Our attack just looked dynamic.
 
"We went after it and played the team game and shared the ball well with nine different players putting points on the board. I feel like we can continue to develop our offense, but I really want to speak to our offensive ride. Our offensive ride to get the ball back was so hard-working by our attack players. If we can continue to build on this start it'll be an exciting season."
 
UP NEXT
Colgate faces its first road test on Sunday, Feb. 28 as they travel to in-state rival Albany. The matchup marks as the second and final nonconference contest before beginning Patriot League play against Army on March 6.
 
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate women's lacrosse program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateWLax and on Instagram at ColgateWLax.