Vanessa Valentine Scores a Hat Trick in UDC Women’s Lacrosse Loss at Caldwell

WEST CALDWELL, NJ – Sophomore midfielder Vanessa Valentine scored a team-high three goals, but the University of the District of Columbia women's lacrosse team was defeated by NCAA Division II East Region foe Caldwell University, 17-5 on Thursday afternoon at Essex Valley School.

Valentine has now scored three goals in three separate games this year and ranks 2^nd on the team with nine goals. Senior midfielder Aaliyah Carter and freshman midfielder Kianna Franklin scored the other Firebird goals.

Carter and Valentine also combined for eight draw controls, and UDC as a team won 13 of 23 draw controls for the game.

Caldwell, meanwhile, snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 2-2 overall this season by scoring a season-high number of goals as a team. Pamela Schenck led all scorers with six goals, and Amber Raines and Arden Kassaleh added four goals apiece.

UDC freshman goalkeeper Jada Foy stopped nine of 26 shots faced in a complete game effort while the Cougars' Elizabeth Ruedemann earned the win in goal with three saves on six shots faced in 49:24 of action. Nancy Benedetto played the final 10:36 and stopped one of three shots faced.

Caldwell raced out to a 7-0 lead 14 minutes into the game and never looked back. Valentine and Franklin each scored a goal for UDC in the first half, but the Firebirds headed into intermission trailing 12-2.

The 2^nd half began similarly to 1^st half, as the Cougars out-scored UDC, 4-1 through nearly 13 minutes of play to extend their lead to 16-3. Carter and Valentine scored back-to-back goals at 4:45 and 3:04, but Caldwell tacked on a final goal with just over a minute to play to end the game with a final score of 17-5.

Next up, UDC (1-4, 0-2 ECC) will visit East Coast Conference foe Molloy on Saturday, March 25^th at 12 p.m.