ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Lacrosse score seven times in the final nine minutes of the first half and pulled away to an 18-5 season-opening win over the visiting Lancaster Bible College Chargers. Liz Brennan scored four of her game-high six goals in the critical first half.

Neither team was able to find much offensive rhythm in the early going, but the Eagles still led 3-1 at the mid-point of the first half. Liz Brennan, Julie Haggan, and Stephanie Arnold each scored in the first fifteen minutes. Haggan put away her second of the game for a 4-1 lead with just less than 14 minutes to play in the period.

The game changed for the Eagles on a disallowed goal from Brennan. The senior scored on a beautiful feed from Haggan, but the goal was waved off for a dangerous follow-through, and Brennan had to serve two minutes on the sideline.

Without their leading scorer in the game, the Eastern defense stood its ground, and the 4-1 lead held. When Brennan returned, the goals started to come.

She scored two goals in a minute almost immediately after returning to the field. Jazzlyn Sullivan then powered her way to the middle of the field for her first goal of the year and a 7-1 edge. Liz Brennan buried her fourth with 6:47 on the clock. The Eagles added three goals in the final 94 seconds to grab control of the game. Haggan scored a pair of those and Sabrina Campbell had the other.

"We capitalized on our scoring chances in that stretch in the first half," Head Coach Kim Campbell said after the game. "It was good to see multiple players step in and score when the chance arrived."

The Eastern defense started near the other goal. The Eagles kept LBC from clearing with any consistency at all. The Chargers were only able to clear 6-of-19 on the game. Sam Brennan and Mackenzie Dix each forced six turnovers in the game. Sam Brennan scooped a career-high ten ground balls as well.

The emphasis in the second half, according to Campbell was on extending possessions and executing as the possession clock wound down. The Chargers twice cut the deficit to nine goals, but the Eagles responded and stretched the lead to 18-4 with four minutes left. Carly Burns scored a pair of second-half goals and Allison Andres and Dix each scored single goals. It was the first career tally for Andres.

Marcie Spencer made six saves in goal to pick up the win.

"I was pleased with our discipline in the second half," Campbell concluded. "Marcie had a very solid game in goal and it was good to get our young players on the field playing in a game. We will need to continue to get better on draw controls and shot selection, but I felt like our captains did a good job of setting our tempo and keeping our energy level where it needed to be."

The Eagles (1-0) are back on the field in a few hours. They face Medaille College (1-0) on Saturday morning at 11:00 am on Olson Field.