Springfield, Mass. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Lacrosse team hit the road for a Tuesday afternoon matchup with American International College at Ronald J. Abdow Field. A six-goal first quarter outburst helped the host Yellow Jackets take and maintain control of the match from start to finish in a 14-5 victory over the Spartans.

STAC falls to 0-3 on the season, while AIC moves to 1-5.

Jade Gorman led the Spartans' offense with two goals, while Jada Garcia tallied a goal and added a helper, and Morgan VanDover and Clemence Papleux each found the back of the cage with shots. Goalie Lilah Magenheimer (L, 0-1) got the start between the pipes for the maroon and gold and turned aside 14 of 28 shots faced.

Meanwhile, American International was led by Gabrielle Walz, who tallied six goals and an assist, while Isabelle Stone added three goals and three helpers and Kathryn Lettieri scored a hat trick. Teammates Sophia Sellins (1 goal, 1 assist) and Victoria Nelson (1 goal) added to the totals on the scoreboard. Goalie Maggie Kloster (W, 1-5), made 9 saves on 14 shots fired in her direction to earn the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

American International set the tone early, erupting for six goals in the opening quarter while holding the Spartans scoreless. Gabrielle Walz spearheaded the outburst, netting four goals in the first 15 minutes, including a pair of free-position scores. The Yellow Jackets capitalized on early draw control wins and transition opportunities to build a 6–0 advantage.

The Spartans began to settle into the game in the second quarter, tightening up defensively and getting a strong stretch in goal from Lilah Magenheimer, who made eight saves in the period. STAC broke through at the 10:19 mark when Jada Garcia finished off a pass from Lily Schommer to make it 6–1. However, AIC answered with two late goals, including another free-position tally, to take an 8–1 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Spartans showed improved offensive rhythm and energy. After the Yellow Jackets pushed their lead to 10–1, Jade Gorman sparked St. Thomas Aquinas with an unassisted goal at 6:49 in the third quarter. Following another American International score, Clemence Papleux added a goal of her own off a strong individual effort to cut the deficit to 11–3. Despite the push, the Yellow Jackets responded once again to carry a 12–3 lead into the final quarter.

STAC continued to battle in the fourth. Gorman recorded her second goal of the game on a free-position shot just 17 seconds into the quarter, and the Spartans later closed out the scoring when Morgan VanDover converted a pass from Garcia with under four minutes remaining. American International added two goals in between to secure the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• AIC outshot STAC 35-23 (28-14 on goal) for the game.
• Jade Gorman tallied a team-high six shots for the Spartans, with four going on net.
• Jada Garcia caused four Yellow Jackets turnovers in the match.
• Clemence Papleux scooped up six of the Spartans 34 total ground balls.
• STAC won 7 of 21 draw controls, with Clemence Papleux winning four.

UP NEXT:

STAC hosts D'Youville University on Saturday, March 21 at Spartan Field. Opening faceoff between the Spartans and Saints is scheduled for noon.