CASTLETON, VT. (April 8, 2026) -- UMass Boston women's lacrosse (4-8, 2-1 Little East Conference) erupted for a season-high 17 goals in a decisive 17-9 conference victory over Vermont State Castleton, fueled by a dominating second-half surge and hat tricks from Rae Alexander (Georgia, Vt.), Ava Duffy (Boston, Mass.) and Emily Pearl (Orleans, Mass.). The Beacons improved their record to 4-8 overall and 2-1 in Little East Conference play with the emphatic road win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a tightly contested first half, UMass Boston traded the lead early and entered the second quarter tied at 2-2 thanks to clutch tallies from Alexander and Teresa Sheedy (Quincy, Mass.). The Spartans seized a brief 4-2 edge before the Beacons answered with three straight goals—highlighted by a free position conversion from Cadence Kelly (Binghamton, NY) and a player-up strike from Samantha DeMarco (Bayville, NJ) at the halftime horn—giving UMass Boston a 5-4 lead at the break.
The Beacons broke the game open in the third quarter, netting four player-up goals—three by Alexander and one by Duffy—capitalizing on Castleton penalties to push the margin. Alexander's relentless third-quarter outburst, paired with Duffy's finishing touch, put UMass Boston firmly in control heading into the final frame up 9-6.
UMass Boston saved its best for last, unleashing an explosive 8-goal fourth quarter. Pearl scored four times in the span of eight minutes, stretching the advantage to double digits. Duffy added two more goals and Alexander continued to pile on as the Beacons cruised in the closing minutes, while Elizabeth Crowley (Medfield, Mass.) anchored the defense with four saves to secure the team's highest-scoring outing of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Beacons set season highs for goals (17), outshooting Castleton 35-15 and controlling the ground game by a 38-18 margin.
- Alexander delivered a season-best performance with five goals and one assist on six shots, including three player-up tallies and a free position goal.
- Duffy netted four goals—one in the second quarter, one in the third, and two in the fourth—on eight shots while leading the team with eight ground balls.
- Pearl scored all four of her goals in the fourth quarter, converting four of five shots.
- Morgan Holohan (Averill Park, N.Y.) led the playmakers with two assists, including set-ups on key second- and fourth-quarter goals.
- Jamie McAleavey (Quincy, Mass.) spearheaded the defense with three caused turnovers, three draw controls and an assist.
- UMass Boston went five-for-six on player-up opportunities and scored five free position goals.
- Elizabeth Crowley (Medfield, Mass.) made four saves while earning the win in goal.
UP NEXT
UMass Boston returns to Newton, MA at the Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst to host Keene State on Saturday, April 11 at 11 a.m. in their next Little East Conference matchup.
To stay up to date on all things UMass Boston Athletics, follow the Beacons on Instagram (@UMassBeacons) and X (@UMassBostonAthletics), and read the latest stories and updates at https://beaconsathletics.com.
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