UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's lacrosse team won their seventh straight game after taking down the SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15-4 on Wednesday evening. Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) led the team with six points each.
 
Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) had a career-high four goals, two assists and eight ground balls. DeCondo notched two goals and four helpers and right behind her was Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), registering four goals, one assist and eight draw controls. Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Plattsburgh State (NCAA DIII)) collected a career-high one goal and two assists. Alyssa Drell (Mastic, NY/William Floyd) and Abigail Gerling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) had two points each while Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) had one goal, four ground balls and four draw controls.
 
Makayla Purdy (Shirley, NY/William Floyd) started in goal for Utica, collecting her sixth win and seven saves. The Pioneers played great fundamental defense, allowing only 11 shots on goal. Aana Blaszka (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) had five ground balls, Ella Stanton (Macedon, NY/Palmyra-Macedon) had two ground balls and Mara Cunningham (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) tallied two ground balls and one caused turnover.
 
Canton struck first only two and a half minutes into the first quarter and 25 seconds later, Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) evened the game at 1-1 with 12:10 to play. With 8:33 left, Drell scored on a power play, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 lead. Gerling scored a free-position goal at the 2:37 mark and 19 seconds later, Canton answered back scoring their second goal as the teams would head into the second with a 3-2 Pioneer lead.
 
Utica dominated the second quarter as Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) collected a hat trick between the 8:41 mark and 7:32 mark extending Utica's lead to 6-2. Two of Stuhlman's goals were assisted by DeCondo on beautiful feeds. With 6:46 on the clock, the Kangaroos answered with a free-position goal and Utica would go into halftime with a 6-3 advantage.
 
The Pioneers scored five unanswered goals in the third quarter and Utica would go into the fourth leading 11-3. Utica's defense allowed only one shot in the third quarter along with winning five draw controls and going four for four on clears.
 
Utica scored four goals in the fourth quarter, as the team would go onto win 15-4. Both teams combined for 11 shots on goal in the fourth.
 
Utica (7-2, 0-0 Empire 8) will host Keuka College on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m. The team will also recognize its nine seniors prior to the start of the game.