ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY – The Maritime College women's lacrosse team began its 2024 season by visiting Bard on Wednesday night.  The Privateers (1-0) scored the first six goals of the game and cruised to a 21-5 victory over the Raptors (0-1) at Ferrari Field.

Emily Commodore (Tinton Falls, NJ) put Maritime on the board less than three minutes into the contest before Morgan Tracy (Cambridge, MD) found the back of the net 35 seconds later.  After the Privateers increased their lead to 6-0, Bard's Izzi Popolizio scored with 30 seconds left in the first quarter.  The Raptors then notched the first two tallies of the second quarter to pull within 6-3.  Gabrielle Nicolosi (West Islip, NY) started a 6-0 Maritime run to end the half, though, and the Privateers took a 12-3 advantage into the halftime break.

It was more of the same in the second half, as Maritime outshot Bard 48-8 for the game, including a 30-7 edge in shots on goal.  Commodore and Tracy scored 1:47 apart to increase the margin to 14-3 early in the third quarter, and Mary Cirelli (Oreland, PA) gave the Privateers a 17-4 lead heading into the fourth quarter.  Maritime added four goals in the final period to notch a 21-5 triumph, its fourth straight season-opening win.

Tracy finished with eight points on six goals and two assists, and Commodore tallied five goals.  Jenna Lesiewicz (Wading River, NY) contributed two goals and five assists to go along with seven ground balls, six draw controls and five caused turnovers.  Nicolosi (two goals, four assists) and Avery Jillson Neuwirth (Croton-on-Hudson, NY) (one goal, five assists) recorded six points apiece, while Kiera Ford (Montgomery, NY) registered 10 draw controls while also scoring three times.  Goalkeeper Tori Koenig (Roxbury, NJ) (1-0) made two saves in the winning effort.

Popolizio recorded three goals and an assist for the Raptors, while Gwendolyn Jamison had two tallies and assisted on another.  Maya Junkins controlled four draws, and Morgan Ruhle picked up a team-high four ground balls.  Lexie Blackburn (0-1) was credited with nine saves for Bard.

Maritime's home opener is scheduled for March 8, when Maine Maritime (0-1) comes to Reinhart Field for a 4 p.m. matchup.  It will be the first meeting between the Privateers and Mariners in Throggs Neck since 2015.