CALDWELL, N.J.- The Caldwell University women's lacrosse team cruised past Nyack College 19-9 for their second win in a row. The Cougars improve to 4-4 and 2-1 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, while the Warriors fall to 1-9 and 1-3 in conference play.
 
Sophomore Rachel Lucia (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) got the Cougars on the board in the first two minutes. Nyack rallied with two unanswered goals to take a 2-1 lead at the 25:33 mark.
 
Caldwell responded with six straight goals to pull ahead 7-2 midway through the opening half. Junior Pamela Schenck (East Moriches, N.Y.), freshman Arden Kassaleh (Pompton Plains, N.J.) and Lucia each netted two goals in the run to put the Cougars in the lead.
 
The Warriors cut the score to 7-3 but Caldwell rallied with two goals. Freshman Amber Raines (Millville, N.J.) scored off an assist by sophomore Maryellen McCarthy (Levittown, N.Y.). Freshman Megan Jean Fitzpatrick (Westbury, N.Y.) netted her first collegiate goal off the ensuring draw control to extend their lead to 9-3.
 
Nyack netted a pair of goals to close the gap to 9-5 but Caldwell finished the half strong with four goals. Schenck, Kassaleh and Lucia each netted goals for Caldwell down the stretch. McCarthy netted a goal with under a minute to play off a Kassaleh assist as the Cougars led 13-5 at halftime.
 
The teams traded goals early in the second half with Schenck scoring for the Cougars. Caldwell extended their lead to double digits as Kassaleh added two goals in the second half with Schenck, Lucia and McCarthy tallying goals late in the second half.
 
Schenck, Lucia and Kassaleh each scored five goals, while Kassaleh added two assists. Schenck and Lucia led Caldwell with five draw controls each, while Lucia tallied a team-high eight groundballs.
 
In net, sophomore Nancy Benedetto (Jupiter, Fla.) got the start in net and recorded 11 saves in the win.
 
The Cougars host Dominican College in a CACC clash on Tuesday, April 4 at 4 pm at Essex Valley Field in West Caldwell.