BUZZARDS BAY, Mass – Saturday afternoon marked the start of the 2020 Buccaneer women's lacrosse season at Clean Harbors Stadium against Anna Maria College. After beating the AMCATS in Paxton, Mass last season in the team's inaugural season, the Bucs took this year's matchup as well, 16-0.

The Basics

Final: Buccaneers 16, AMCATS 0

Records: Mass Maritime 1-0 (0-0 MASCAC)

               Anna Maria 0-1 (0-0 GNAC)

For The Bucs

• Sophomore Alyssa Blumenthal (Braintree, Mass) scored a game-high six goals and assisted on two other goals in the win.
• Junior captain Anna Deely (Barnstable, Mass) scored three times. Senior captain Cammi Balentine (Haverhill, Mass) and Junior captain Casey Sullivan (Sagamore Beach, Mass) each scored twice.
• Senior Heather Seggelin (Sharon, Mass), sophomore Nora McLaughlin (Quincy, Mass) and freshman Grace Calvert (Windsor, Mass) each netted a goal.  
• Balentine assisted on a game-high six goals in the game while Sullivan assisted on three, and Calvert and fellow freshman Paige Albertson (Nantucket, Mass) each recorded one assist.
• Calvert picked up a game-high eight ground balls. Deely collected seven ground balls of her own elevating her to second all-time in program history with 126 career ground balls.
• Deely also picked up seven draw controls. Already program leader in the category, she now had 208 career draw controls.
• Defensively, Blumenthal and Junior Hannah Mannai (Keene, N.H.) each caused a game-high three turnovers. Seggelin caused two turnovers. 10 other players cause one turnover apiece.
• Three goalies played in the game for the Bucs. Sophomore starter Laura Kleber (Westport, Mass) did not face a shot in the game but did pick up the win. Freshman goalies Aviva Beringhause (Providence, R.I.) and Sue Bird (Duxbury, Mass) each made one save on the lone shots they faced.

For The AMCATS

• Sophomores Sierra Green (Lewiston, Maine) and Ashley Rufo (Pittsfield, Mass) took the only two shots of the game for Anna Maria.
• Eight different players caused turnovers in the game for the AMCATS.
• Freshman Mackenzie Tierney (Sanford, Maine) picked up a team-high four ground balls.
• Starting goalie Emma Walsh (Dracut, Mass) saved 11 of 27 shots in the loss. Freshman goalie Ashley Sheehan (Medford, Mass) saved the only shot she faced.

How It Happened

The Buccaneers scored 55 seconds in to the game, Sullivans first of the season assisted by Blumenthal. Blumenthal went on to score the Bucs next four goals over the next 13 minutes. Balentine picked up assists on two of the goals, Sullivan returned the favor from the first minute, assisting on one of the four goals as well. After a yellow card was given to Anna Maria in the middle of the half, McLaughlin took advantage scoring in the man-up situation to score her first of the season. At the midway point of the half, Sullivan netted her second goal of the day. Four minutes later, Seggelin found the back of the net, assisted by Balentine. It was Cammi's fifth assist of the day and fifth consecutive assist on Buccaneer goals. The AMCATS had their best chance of the day to get on the board with 10:24 on the clock from a free position shot. Unfortunately for Anna Maria, Beringhause made a terrific save down low to keep the score at 8-0. Balentine went on to score two goals in the next 65 seconds, one from free position, the other was unassisted. Then, with 28 second left in the first half Blumenthal scored on a pass from Albertson to run the score to 11-0 which would be the score at the half.

The second half opened with Blumenthal's sixth goal of the day just under three minutes in. Two minutes later Deely found the back of the net for the first time in 2020 on a pass from Blumenthal. Then, after the second yellow card of the day for the AMCATS, Deely scored her second with just over 22 minutes remaining in the game. The goals was assisted by Balentine, her sixth of the afternoon. Deely would score again at the halfway point of the half to put the Bucs up 15-0. With 11:25 left in the second half, Calvert scored her first career, assisted by Sullivan. Neither team would score in the final 11 minutes, and the Bucs took the 16-0 win to open the season over the AMCATS.

The Buccaneers will be back at Clean Harbors Stadium for their next game on Friday, March 6^th at 7pm against SUNY Maritime. The game marks the start of the 2020 Maritime Classic held annually between Maine, Mass and SUNY Maritime.