PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse team had four student-athletes score multiple goals, as the Cardinals topped Russell Sage College, 15-5, in its non-conference finale Wednesday afternoon at the Field House Complex.
 
Senior attacker Emily Caoili (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington) led the Cardinals with four points on two goals and two assists, while junior midfielder Caroline Noia (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South), junior attacker/midfielder Kate Kennedy (Waddington, N.Y./Massena) and sophomore midfielder Jordan Kowalski (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) each netted three goals. Kowalski and junior defender/midfielder Emma McLaughlin (Northport, N.Y./Northport) each controlled six draws, while junior defender Nikki Scioscia (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) and sophomore defender Colleen Edwards (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) recorded three caused turnovers and four ground balls, respectively.
 
The Cardinals finished with a 31-13 edge in shots, a 21-19 cushion in ground balls and a 19-4 advantage in draw controls. On clears, Plattsburgh State went 16-for-18, while Russell Sage went 16-for-26.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 2-4 overall with the win and next hosts Fredonia on Saturday, April 2, at 12 p.m. Russell Sage falls to 3-5 overall with the loss and hosts Alfred University on Saturday, April 2, at 1 p.m. in its Empire 8 opener.
 
First-year defender/midfielder Nicole Resnick (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) opened scoring 3:53 into the contest with her first collegiate goal, while Noia scored on a free-position shot and Caoili cashed in on a feed from first-year attacker Maddy Garcia (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) to take a 3-0 lead. First-year attacker Melanie Winters (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) buried her first collegiate goal on a free-position attempt midway through the first quarter, while Kowalski netted two goals in the final 3:14 of the first to give the Cardinals a 6-0 lead.
 
First-year attacker/midfielder Caitlin Nash (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) buried a shot on a feed from Caoili to open up the second quarter before Kennedy tallied a goal less than three minutes later. Russell Sage got on the board with 9:59 left in the second quarter when sophomore attacker Alexandra Queeney scored, while Caoili connected with sophomore attacker/midfielder Fiona Fitzgerald (Long Beach, N.Y./Holy Trinity) for a goal 37 seconds later. Kennedy scored once and Noia scored twice before sophomore midfielder Marissa Key and sophomore attacker Grace Hines each scored for the Gators to cut the Cardinals' lead to 12-3 entering the halftime intermission.
 
Kennedy scored woman-up 39 seconds into the third quarter before Kowalski tallied on a pass from Fitzgerald midway through the frame. Caoili found the back of the cage with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter, while Queeney scored for Russell Sage to trim the visitors' deficit to 15-4 entering the final regulation stanza.
 
In the fourth quarter, the only scoring came from Russell Sage's first-year midfielder Aimee Rodriquez 4:05 into the period. While the Cardinals were held scoreless in the frame, they did successfully hold the Gators scoreless on a two-minute woman-up chance.
 
Sophomore goalie Johanna Malone (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue), junior goalie Lilla Nease (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) and senior goalie Alexa Cassidy (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) combined for eight saves in the win for the Cardinals, while junior goalie Madeline Butta turned aside 11 shots in the loss for the Gators.
 
For Russell Sage, Queeney led the way offensively with two goals, while junior defender Brylee Pelfrey caused three turnovers.