April 20, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Freshman Dani Vivonetto (Rocky Point, N.Y.) scored a career-high six goals and senior Jamie Howe (Annapolis, Md.) added a personal-best of her own with a five-point effort as the Mids cruised past Howard in a 22-7 rout on Senior Day Monday afternoon at a rain-soaked Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
With the win, the program's 25th in 33 career games, Navy concludes its 2009 regular season slate with a 12-4 overall mark. Meanwhile, Howard, one of eight Division I independents, wraps up its spring at 1-11.
"Today was a terrific sendoff for our five seniors," said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. "I couldn't be happier for Jamie Howe especially. She came out today and really worked her tail off and made the most of her opportunity.
"I was glad to be able to get a lot of our girls in there and allow them to pick up some valuable playing experience. Now it's onto the league tournament this weekend where we will have a major battle on our hands against a very stout Lehigh team."
The 22 goals is a season-high total for the Mids and ranks as the second-highest scoring output in program history - behind only last spring's 24-0 shutout victory over Saint Francis (Pa.).
When all was said and done, 10 different Navy players had found the back of the net and 14 Mids had earned their way onto the final scoresheet with either a point or assist.
Four different Navy players produced hat tricks led by Vivonetto's six-spot - a mark which ties for the second-highest single-game goal total in school history.
For Howe, who entered the game with just one point (an assist) in five career games, it was a fitting sendoff as she scored two goals (both in the first half) and handed out three assists while playing in her final collegiate home contest.
Annapolis natives junior Mary Ruttum and sophomore Caitlin Mandrin Hill both contributed three goals and three assists apiece, while third-year standout Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.) chipped in with her 25th career hat trick, an assist and a career-high seven draw controls.
A resurgent Ruttum, who now has 13 points (8 g, 5 a) over her last three games, also sccoped up five ground balls, while Mandrin Hill caused a game-high three turnovers.
Navy actually trailed in this contest briefly as Howard's Sakita Holley scored the first of her five goals just 28 seconds into the contest. That lead would be short-lived, however, as Navy responded with eight unanswered goals over the next 11:11 to take a commanding 8-1 advantage.
The Mids proceeded to pour it on with six of the contest's next eight markers and would stretch their lead to as many as 12 before taking a 16-5 edge into the break.
In the first half alone, nine different Mids scored goals and a number of individuals notched career-firsts. Freshman Brigid Jurgens (Wilbraham, Mass.) scored her first career goal at 19:20, while Howe recorded her first career tally at the 11:08 mark.
Meanwhile, rock-steady starting defender Abby Ellis (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and fellow freshman Kay Lantz (Tinton Falls, N.J.) each had assists during the period to register the first career points of their respective collegiate careers.
Navy came out of the break wanting to take little air out of the ball and did just that, maintaining possession while tacking on four unanswered goals in the first 10:08 of the second half to extend their lead to 20-5.
The talented Holley would strike twice more for the Bison, but Navy went score-for-score with the visitors over the remainder of regulation, highlighted by sophomore Ali Reckenbeil's (Branchburg, N.J.) first career goal, and the final margin settled on 22-7.
Navy outshot Howard by a 34-14 margin, tied a school record for draw controls for the second time this season with 21 and dominated the clearing game, converting 13-of-15 tries compared to the Bison's 9-23 clip.
The Mids, who rank among the national leaders in scoring defense allowing only 8.14 goals per game, closed out the regular season by limiting their sixth opponent over the last seven games to eight or fewer goals. They also produced double figures in caused turnovers for the seventh time this spring.
Freshman standout Elaina Ponchione (Silver Spring, Md.) made three saves in 49-plus minutes of action to collect her 12th collegiate win - lowering her conference-best GAA to 8.11 in the process.
For Navy, it is now onto the 2009 Patriot League Tournament this weekend where the Mids, the No. 3 seed, will square off with second-seeded Lehigh on Friday in Hamilton, N.Y. beginning at 2:00 pm.
Notes: Navy concludes the year with a 7-3 record at home (18-3 all-time) ... Rawlick extends her scoring streak to 33 consecutive games (sixth-longest active streak in the nation) ... the seven draws also move her over the century mark and give her 106 for her career ... Prior to the contest, the women's lacrosse program recognized its five graduating seniors (Jenn Dunbar, Margaret Gardner, Lauren Gillam, Jamie Howe, Kristen Laraway) in a short on-field ceremony.
## GO NAVY! ##
