WESTFIELD, MA- Westfield State University's Sydney Lambert (Hanover, Mass.) scored three goals including her 100^th career goal to help lead the Owls a 17-14 women's lacrosse victory over Johnson and Wales at Alumni Field.

Westfield improves to 10-1 with the win. The Owls got an impressive 20 saves from junior goalkeeper Maria Woodall (King Phillip/Norfolk, Mass.) to preserve the victory.

Trailing 5-3 with 10:44 to play in the first half, the Owls went on a five-goal run, capped by Lucy Barrett as she netted one top shelf on a drive from the top of the fan to give the Owls an 8-5 lead. Allison Pazienski (Herrick/New Hyde, NY) would put an end to the run after scoring her own short-handed goal for the Wildcats to close the scoring in the first half. Westfield led 8-6 at the break.

It was a tight, back-and-forth game throughout its entirety. Dani Lydecker (Nyack/Valley Cottage, N.Y.) gave JWU its last lead at 12-11, scoring on a feed from Pazienski with 16:29 left in the game.

Westfield tied the game at 12-all as Marissa Nimeskern (Hanover, Mass.) fed Maddie Bartkus (Marshfield, Mass.)( in the center of the fan, and Bartkus wheeled and fired a shot to tie game.

The Owls took the lead for good with 13 minutes left to play as Lambert tallied an unassisted goal for a 13-12 advantage.

Lambert's third goal was the 100^th of her career, which came with 4:23 to play and gave Westfield a 16-14 lead.

The Owls matched their largest lead of the game with the 17-14 final score.

Sam Donohoe (North Middlesex/Pepperell, Mass.) added a hat trick of her own after scoring two back-to-back goals just twelve seconds apart, and recorded four draw controls to help rally the Owls from the early deficit. Samantha Coyle (Weymouth, Mass.) also scored a hat trick on the night as she netted the last goal of the game to secure the win for Westfield. Lucy Barrett (Mt. Greylock/Williamstown, Mass.) added two goals to go along with two assists.

Lambert becomes the eighth player in Owls history to hit the 100 goals plateau. She currently sits in 8^th place on the Owls all-time goal scorers list, three behind Meg Griffin '16.

Pazienski led the effort for Johnson and Wales scoring three goals to go along with two assists. Other notables for the Wildcats were Lydecker who scored four goals on the night and Raquel Pederzani (Bay View/Coventry, R.I.) who netted three of her own. Cassidy O'Hara (Mashpee, Mass.) maded 11 saves in goal for the Wildcats.

Westfield will return to conference play on Friday night, travelling to Mass Maritime Academy for a 7:00 p.m. start. The Owls will get another non-conference test on Saturday night, playing host to M.I.T. at 7:00 p.m. at Alumni Field. Fans are encouraged to wear purple to the game in support of the Owls Alzheimer's' Awareness day.

Johnson and Wales next game is on Saturday April 14, at Emmanuel College.

-- story by Mike Witts, sports information intern