GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA (February 18, 2023) --- The Kings's College women's lacrosse team opened the season on the road, coming up short against Gwynedd Mercy, falling 9-7 on Saturday afternoon. King's falls to 0-1 on the season, while Gwynedd Mercy improves to 1-0.
 
Gwynedd Mercy (1-0) started quickly, scoring just 13 seconds in, as Kristin Varilla put the Griffins up 1-0. King's (0-1) had a chance to reply just over 30 seconds later, as the Monarchs were awarded a free position shot, but the effort by sophomore Chloe Burke's effort just missed. The Monarchs knotted up the game at one at 11:16, as this time Burke made no mistake, picking up her first goal. Just over three minutes later, King's jumped in front for the first time in the afternoon, as Burke picked up her second goal off an assist from Junior Olivia Benner. The Griffins replied just over a minute later as Cheyenne Avellino scored at 7:02 to make it a 2-2 game, before sophomore Kyleigh Dunworth put King's back in front, 3-2, at 6:47. Gwynedd Mercy replied quickly again, scoring at 6:17 off a goal from Hailey Bloom, before Burke completed her hat-trick at 2:38, to put the Monarchs up 4-3 after the first quarter.
 
The Griffins scored twice in the opening half of the second quarter, as Bloom tallied her second goal at 10:58 and Alysia Collins scored at 8:49 to put Gwynedd Mercy up 5-4. King's responded at 3:58 as first-year Emilee Schultz tallied her first collegiate goal on an assist from Dunworth. Ayanna Lyons scored with 2:41 remaining in the half, to give the Griffins a 6-5 lead at the break.
 
Burke tallied her fourth goal of the contest with 4:41 to play in the third quarter, as the teams headed to the fourth quarter tied at six. The Griffins scored three times to jump in front 9-6. Bloom scored twice during the run and Avellino added one, to put Gwynedd Mercy up 9-6 with 3:04 to play. Dunworth converted on a late free position opportunity to cut the deficit to 9-7 with 1:15 to play, but that was as close as the Monarchs got, as the Griffins came away with the 9-7 victory.
 
Senior Jessie Smalley started the game in the cage, playing the first half, making five saves on 11 shots, before junior Sidney Bush came in for the second half, stopping four of seven shots faced. Burke paced the Monarch attack, tallying four goals, while Dunworth chipped in three points on two goals and an assist. Burke also led King's on the defensive side, causing three turnovers, as the Monarchs caused 14 as a team.
 
Reilly Owens got the start in the cage, stopping seven of 13 shots, before Melanie Rola came in, making one save on two shots. Offensively, Bloom led the Griffins, tallying five points on four goals and an assist, while Avellino led the defense by forcing four turnovers.
 
King's will remain on the road, as the Monarchs take the short trip to Scranton to face-off against Marywood University on Thursday at 5 p.m.