The Alfred State women's lacrosse team claimed the AMCC Championship in convincing fashion as they took down Pitt-Bradford 16-3 on Saturday. The Pioneers move to 12-4 on the year and will face St. Mary's College of Maryland in the AMCC x United East Crossover Championship game next Saturday (5/2).
Katerina Strong led the way for Alfred State with five goals and two assists. Karlee Hargather added four goals and four assists, while Alaina Gernatt found the back of the next four times. Maeve Runyon picked up the win in goal as she made five saves.
Hargather opened the game with back-to-back goals. Strong found the back of the net a few minutes later after getting a pass from Regan Curabba. Gernatt followed with an unassisted goal in the final seconds of the first take the 4-0 lead.
After a Panthers goal opened the second quarter, Erica Jackson found Brooke Walsh open in front of the net to make it a 5-1 game. Later in the second quarter, Strong netted her 45th goal of the season to give ASC the 6-1 lead going into the halftime break.
The Pioneers kept their offense going in the second half, as they scored five times in both the third and fourth quarters.
Alfred State got the offense rolling in the third with a Hargather to Strong goal. Jackson followed with a fast break goal for the 8-1 lead. The Panthers answered with a goal, before Walsh found the back of the net for her second goal of the game, this time off a Kari Annunziato pass. In the final two minutes of the quarter, Gernatt and Strong put in goal to give ASC the 11-2 lead going into the fourth.
Hargather set up Strong to open the second half scoring, Jackson followed with a fast break goal for the 8-1 lead. The Panthers answered with a goal, before Walsh found the back of the net for her second goal of the game, this time off a Kari Annunziato pass. In the final two minutes of the quarter, Gernatt and Strong tallied goals to give ASC the 11-2 lead after three quarters.
Gernatt opened the scoring in the fourth to extend the Pioneers lead to double digits, 12-2. A few possessions later, the Panthers scored their final goal. The Pioneers would respond with four straight goals, before running out the clock and claiming the AMCC title.
Karlee Hargather, Katerina Strong , and Allison Bateson was named to the AMCC All-Tournament team.