On a rainy Wednesday evening, the women’s lacrosse team (5-5, 1-2 Ivy) thrashed University of Vermont (6-6, 2-1 America East) for a decisive 16-5 win, ending Bruno’s two-game losing streak. After starting the game in scorching fashion with an 8-0 lead, the Bears rode their significant cushion to a comfortable win.
Playing through pouring rain and a puddle-ridden field, Bruno launched a powerful attack that made the overwhelming difference in the game. Midfielder Ruby Sliwkowski ’27 and attacker Tessie Batchelder ’29 both scored hat tricks, while attacker Caroline Nozzolillo ’29, defender Riley Peterson ’28 and midfielder Mackenzie Farley ’29 each netted two of their own.
From the opening draw, Brown imposed their presence by consistently winning faceoffs and sustaining long possessions near the Vermont goal. Less than a minute in, Farley circled the goal, rolled back and finished from close range. Only 30 seconds later, Brown struck again when Nozzolillo also circled the goal to bring Bruno’s lead to two.
Bruno continued to dominate possession, denying Vermont the chance to exit their own half of the field. Even when the Catamounts finally gained possession in Brown’s offensive half, Bruno swiftly turned defense into offense. Defender Amelie Devine ’29 ran across the field for an emphatic finish, scoring the first goal of her collegiate career.
Bruno showed no signs of slowing down from there. Within the next four minutes, Sliwkowski, midfielder Marley Wright ’26 and midfielder Annie Dignazio ’29 each scored in quick succession to extend the lead to 6-0.
As Bruno flashed their offensive prowess, Vermont began committing penalties, and the Bears took full advantage of a yellow card. From a free position, Batchelder rocketed a shot into the top corner. With a one-woman advantage, Peterson then weaved through multiple defenders to find the top corner of the net.
On the other end of the field, goalkeeper Mackenzie Conway ’29 kept a clean sheet through the first quarter.
Despite the 8-0 deficit, Vermont came out of the gates fast in the second quarter. Capitalizing on a Brown green card penalty, the Catamounts’ Karina Sethi scored off a deflection from Conway’s stick just 30 seconds into the game.
But their momentum was short-lived. A near 30 seconds after Vermont’s goal, Sliwkowski’s well-timed assist awarded Peterson her second goal of the game. Brown then received a free position shot, and Batchelder fired a laser into the top left corner, straight past the outstretched arms of Vermont goalkeeper Anna Rosenberger, bringing the score to 10-1.
Sliwkowski continued with her sharp passes, this time enabling midfielder Kayla Davi ’29 to score from close range off of a nice cut. Following a Vermont goal, the game settled down for the first time that evening.
But after a six-minute scoreless period, Sliwkowski broke the stalemate, scoring for the second time that night.
As the clock for the first half winded to zero, Bruno left the field with a commanding 12-2 lead.
Despite the onslaught of goals headlining the first half, the second began in a different light. For the first time in the night, Bruno’s defense stole the spotlight with a solid structure anchored by Conway at the net. But Vermont’s Lydia Doraz broke through the tight formation, capitalizing on a turnover.
With a little less than four minutes left in the quarter, Sliwkowski scored her third goal of the evening to give her a hat trick. Displaying her blistering speed, Sliwkowski sprinted in front of Vermont defenders and with a piercing shot into the bottom left corner.
Despite their 13-3 lead entering the fourth quarter, the Bears didn’t lower their guard. After Doraz scored her second goal of the game — with an acrobatic jumping shot — Brown scored three more to thwart Vermont’s hope of a comeback.
Farley cushioned a pass from Nozzolillo to score her second goal with a little over ten minutes left. Soon after, provider turned scorer — Nozzolillo bounced a shot in for her second of the night.
Though they had already scored 15 goals, Bruno’s 16th and final goal perfectly epitomized their impressive offensive performance. Batchelder made a timely cut to receive a terrific pass from attacker Claire Murphy ’28. Batchelder’s near-post finish ensured her hat trick for the night.
A garbage time goal from Vermont with less than two minutes remaining in the game took the final score to 16-5.
The Bears will look to extend their winning streak to two when they visit Columbia on Saturday at 1 p.m.
