HAMILTON, N.Y. – The No. 13 Navy women's lacrosse team (6-2, 1-0 in the Patriot League) outscored Colgate (2-6, 0-1) 11-2 in the second half to pick up an 18-6 victory at Beyer-Small '76 Field on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Hamilton, N.Y. The Mids led by just three, but used a 9-0 run to close the game and cruise to victory.
 
"We are pleased to be able to come away with the victory," head coach Cindy Timchal said. "For us it is always an exciting game when we come up here and play Colgate. They did a great job against us in the first half, but we were able to make some adjustments and pull away in the second half. We are excited about a decisive victory to open up Patriot League play. The weather conditions weren't ideal, but we were able to play through it and makes some things happen on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Now, we have to get ready for our game next week against Bucknell."
 
Navy had three players score hat tricks on the day as Kayla Harris (Annapolis, Md.), Kelly Larkin (Alexandria, Va.), and Reagan Roelofs (Apple Valley, Minn.) each finished with three goals apiece. Annalise Heyward (Charlotte, N.C.), Marina Lazarides (Westminster, Md.), Ellie Lecker (Ponte Vedra, Fla.), and Andie O'Sullivan (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) chipped in two goals each. Larkin paced the team with six assists, tying her career best and tying for the sixth most helpers in a game. Heyward registered a career high with three assists, while Roelofs pulled down seven of Navy's 11 draw controls on the day.
 
Defensively, the Mids used three goalies in the game. Gab Harchelroad (Pittsburgh, Pa.) picked up the victory, recording four saves, while surrendering five goals. Abbi Young (Alamo, Calif.) and Lindsey Ellison (Arlington, Va.) entered the game in relief, combining for a pair of saves and one goal allowed. For Ellison, it was her first appearance of the season.
 
The Navy defense caused 15 of Colgate's 23 turnovers on the day. Marie Valenti (Bechtelsville, Pa.) led the charge with four caused turnovers in the game. Heyward and Roelofs each added two CTs as well.
 
For her career, Valenti has a school record 99 caused turnovers and is one shy of becoming the sixth player in Patriot League history with 100 or more CTs.
 
Valenti also led the team with six ground balls, while Roelofs, Heyward, and Harchelroad added three apiece.
 
In the first half, Navy was the first team to score. Harris scored off a Larkin pass to put the Mids up early. Colgate tied the game at 1-1, but Navy responded with a 5-0 run to take a 6-1 advantage.
 
Larkin opened the run, converting a free-position opportunity to regain the lead. O'Sullivan notched her first goal of the game off a helper by Heyward. The Midshipmen continued he run as Lazarides found the back of the net to push the advantage to 4-1. O'Sullivan notched her second goal of the game to give Navy a four-goal edge. Roelofs intercepted a pass at midfield and took it to the goal for the score to complete the 5-0 run and give Navy a 6-1 lead.
 
Colgate ended the run with a goal, but Larkin scored her second goal of the game to answer. The Raiders closed the gap, 7-4, with a pair of goals to close the half.
 
In the second half, Heyward started the scoring, pushing the lead back to four, but a Colgate goal trimmed the margin back down to three. Roelofs found the back of the net to give the Mids a 9-5 advantage, but the Raiders responded to cut the margin to 9-6.
 
From there, it was all Navy, as the Midshipmen closed out the game on a 9-0 run to post the 12-goal victory.

Heyward started the run with her second goal of the half. Harris followed with back-to-back goals to double up the Raiders, 12-6. The run continued as Natalie Irwin (Annandale, Va.) found the back of the net. Roelofs scored her third goal of the game to give the freshman hat tricks in consecutive games. Larkin's third goal of the game gave the Mids a 15-6 advantage. Lazarides started the running clock, putting Navy up 10 with her second game of the afternoon. Lecker closed out the run with a pair of goals, marking her first points of the season.
 
Navy returns to action on Saturday, March 23, as the Midshipmen continue Patriot League play with a game against Bucknell. The game is part of a doubleheader with the Navy men's lacrosse team. The men play at 12:00 p.m. and the women are slated for 3:00 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available throughout the day.