WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 4, 2023) --- Trailing 6-4 midway through the second quarter, the King's College women's lacrosse team finished the game on a 14-1 run, defeating visiting Keystone College 18-7 on Saturday from McCarthy Stadium. With the win, King's improves to 1-3 on the season, while Keystone falls to 0-2. Additionally, with the win, King's head coach Katy Higinbothom collects her first victory at the helm of the Monarchs.
 
Keystone (0-2) opened the game, tallying the first three goals of the contest, to jump in front 3-0 with 10:40 to play. King's (1-3) responded with the next two goals, as junior Olivia Benner scored at 9:41, before a marker from first-year Emilee Schultz cut the deficit to 3-2 with 8:09 remaining in the opening quarter. The Giants pushed the lead back to multiple goals at 5:39, before sophomore Ashley Dias found the back of the cage at 3:50, making it a 4-3 game heading to the second quarter.
 
The Monarchs tied the game at four early in the second, as Benner recorded her second goal of the contest at 14:20. Keystone scored the next two goals, extending the lead to 6-4 with just over 11 minutes to play in the half. Following a King's timeout, the Monarchs rattled off the next 11 goals, spanning the final eight and a half minutes of the second quarter through the third quarter. During the run, six different Monarchs found the back of the net, led by Emilee Schultz and sophomore Kyleigh Dunworth, who both recorded three goals. First-year Sarah Schultz added two goals, while Dias, Benner, and sophomore Grace Venis all notched one goal, as King's took a 15-6 advantage into the fourth quarter.
 
The Giants got a goal back early in the quarter, before King's closed out the contest, with the final three goals. Dias and Venis both picked up another goal, while sophomore Emma Besa collected her first career goal, as the Monarchs came away with the 18-7 victory.
 
Senior Jessie Smalley started the contest in the cage, making two saves, before being replaced by junior Sidney Bush in the second quarter, who finished with four saves. Dunworth, Venis, and Emilee Schultz paced the Monarch attack, as all three recorded at least five points. Dunworth notched six points on three goals and three assists, as Venis and Schultz both tallied five points, on two goals and three assists, and four goals and one assist, respectively. Dias, Benner, and Sarah Schultz also found the cage multiple times, as Dias and Benner recorded three goals, and Schultz totaled two. King's was strong on draws, controlling 17 of 29, as Dias corralled five, and first-year Maria Schneider collected four. The Monarchs were also aggressive on defense, forcing the Giants into 10 turnovers, as Dias caused three.
 
Hannah Osbahr started in goal, totaling 10 saves on the afternoon. Offensively, Keystone was led by Makayla Batts, who recorded three points on two goals and an assist. The Giants controlled 12 of 29 draws, forcing four turnovers from the Monarchs.
 
King's will have a week and a half off, before continuing its four-game home stand on March 15, as the Monarchs host Alvernia University at 5 p.m. at McCarthy Stadium.