CHC sophomore defender Dai Pearson (right) forces NYIT's Anne Marie Ardito to change direction. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

The gulf that exists between some women's lacrosse teams in NCAA Division II was manifested in a pair of Chestnut Hill College games late last week. On Thursday in the nation's capital, the Griffins polished off the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), 21-5. Back home on Saturday afternoon, CHC itself was the victim in an even more one-sided match, falling 20-1 to the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).

The NYIT Lady Bears, a top-20 team in the Division II coaches' poll, improved to 9-2 with the win, while the Griffins slipped below the .500 mark, to 3-4.

In the triumph over UDC, seniors Hunter Leckonby and Julia Galantich paced the offense with five and four goals, respectively, while junior Macailagh Smith and sophomore Spencer Fitzgerald each recorded a hat trick. Sophomore Haley Norwillo added two goals, and there were single strikes by juniors Julia Reinert and Rita Lynn Trainer, senior Erica McLaughlin and sophomore Dai Pearson.

Each playing half the game in goal, junior starter Valeria Amaya logged two saves and freshman Shenna Grady had three stops.

Saturday's contest was actually CHC's last weekend home game, and before it got underway there was a Senior Day send-off for Galantich, Leckonby, McLaughlin, Rachel Daniels and Gillian Wixted.

The game itself didn't go badly in the earliest stages. Visiting NYIT was slapped with a yellow card in the opening minute, and with 1:16 elapsed Galantich scored with an assist from Reinert to give the Griffins the first lead of the day.

The Lady Bears responded quickly to tie it at 1-1, then they scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal two-and-a-half minutes into the action. Before the first 10 minutes were up, NYIT was ahead 6-1, and the gap only grew from there.

New CHC women's lacrosse head coach Kate Scattergood gives her Griffins guidance. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

Throughout the day, an advantage in draw controls and ground ball retrievals helped keep the ball in the Lady Bear's sticks a good deal of the time. They led 13-1 at the intermission, and then cruised through the second half, 7-0.

In goal for Chestnut Hill, Amaya made 10 saves before she was relieved in the middle of the second half by Grady.

Within their own Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, the Griffins should be competitive. They reached the playoff semifinals last year, and in their only contest to date in the conference, they succumbed to nearby Jefferson University on the road, 18-11.

Chestnut Hill's new head coach, Kate Scattergood, played high school lacrosse right down the driveway from CHC's Victory Field, at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. She went on to become team captain and a First Team All-PSAC selection at Shippensburg University ('98).

She first became a head lacrosse coach on the collegiate level at Susquehanna University, then assumed the same role at Washington & Jefferson College in western Pennsylvania. From 2012 to 2017 she headed the program at Kutztown University.

A certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, she has also worked at many lacrosse and field hockey camps and clinics, including ones held at Penn Charter.