GREENSBURG, Pa. -- Senior attacker #Molly Merrill# had six goals and the Notre Dame defense allowed just three scores, as the Falcons defeated Seton Hill (Pa.) on Wednesday by a final of 15-3.
With the win, Notre Dame (4-1) has now won four straight games and is off to their best five-game start in program history. For the host Griffins (1-6), Wednesday's afternoon tilt marked their fifth consecutive loss.
NDC shut out Seton Hill, 10-0, in the first half of play and then tallied five second-half goals, to the Griffin's three, to round out the 15-3 final score. Merrill, who came into the game as the Falcons' leading scorer this season with nine goals, garnered an NDC season-high with her six goals. She now has 15 goals on the year, and on Wednesday also played a solid two-way game, causing a game-high seven turnovers.
Junior attacker #Marisa Rainieri# was the Falcons' second-leading scorer at SHU; she had three goals, all of which came in the second half barrage. For the 60 minutes, the Blue & White fired 28 shots on goal (32 total shots) in posting their second-highest score of the season (the Falcons scored 20 at Savannah Art & Design on March 5).
#Ally Phillips# and #Rachel Tarasco# split the game in the cage for Notre Dame, combining to make four saves. A staunch Falcon defense caused 22 turnovers. NDC has now yielded just 20 goals over their last four games (all wins) after coughing up 20 in a season-opening 20-3 loss to West Chester (Pa.).
Notre Dame's next game is also on the road in Pennsylvania – the Falcons are slated to take on Lock Haven on Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m.
NOTES FROM THE NEST…
GROUNDING THE GRIFFINS: NDC and SHU have played each year since the Falcons' inaugural 2005 season. With Notre Dame's win on Wednesday, the Falcons have now defeated the Griffins in four straight games and by a combined score of 46-11. Overall, Notre Dame is 4-2 against Seton Hill.
SIX-SHOOTER: Molly Merrill's six goals on Wednesday mark the most for an NDC player in a single game since #Gena McPherson# tallied eight at Gannon (Pa.) on April 18, 2008. The six goals are Merrill's most in a game since posting the same total at Wittenberg March 14, 2008.
