The Basics
Score: Roanoke 24, Hope 6
Records: Maroons 16-4; Flying Dutch 13-5
Location: Columbus, Ohio
 
The Short Story: The 12th-ranked Maroons scored the first seven goals of the game and never looked back in cruising to a 24-6 victory over Hope (Mich.) in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship in Ohio.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Libby Bowman got Roanoke on the board just 31 seconds into the game, scoring from a Tiernan Connor assist. A pair of Grace Koutouzis goals and a free-position strike from Kate Loughran would push the Maroons' advantage to 4-0 by the end of the opening period.
• Roanoke poured in 10 goals in the second quarter, stretching its lead to double figures before halftime. Maddie McDonald scored twice in the opening minute of the frame, and Nicole Harrison made it 7-0 with 12:05 to play.
• Hope finally got on the board at the 11:04 mark of the period, with Julia Brown's marker trimming the margin to 7-1. But Koutouzis was involved in all three goals of a mini-run from the Maroons, setting up scores from Soria Ebert and Connor and adding a player-up goal of her own to extend the lead to 10-1.
• Following another goal from the Flying Dutch, McDonald's player-up marker and Harrison's second tally pushed the advantage to double digits (12-2) with 6:15 remaining.
• The teams alternated scores down the stretch. Connor's goal with just 34 seconds to play, which came while the Maroons were down two players due to green cards, sent the Maroons into halftime ahead 14-3.
• After Loughran grabbed the opener of the third quarter, back-to-back goals pulled Hope to within 15-5. But Roanoke notched the final four goals of the frame, going ahead 19-5 on an Ebert marker in the closing seconds.
• The Maroons outscored the Flying Dutch 5-1 in the fourth period, including a pair of goals from Raegan Becker.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Loughran led Roanoke with seven points, totaling four goals and three assists. Koutouzis tallied three goals and three assists, while Connor recorded a pair of goals and four assists.
• McDonald registered three goals, two assists and a game-high 11 draw controls. Ebert added three goals and one helper, while Becker finished with two goals and one assist, Nicole Harrison posted two goals, and Sarah Brisson contributed one goal and one assist.
• The Maroons also received one goal apiece from Bowman, Zoe Blair, Jordan Wheeler and Addison Widmer. Sydney Harrison notched one assist.
• Kyleigh Chickering recorded five saves with five goals allowed before subbing out of the contest early in the fourth quarter. Sophia Chickering collected four draw controls.
• Maddie Yakes tallied 13 stops in goal for Hope, while Molly Frederickson and Caleigh Randall each tallied one goal and one assist.
• Roanoke held huge advantages in shots (43-11), draw controls (20-11) and ground balls (16-5). The Maroons committed just four turnovers and finished a perfect 16-of-16 on clears.

UP NEXT

• The Maroons will take on host Capital in the second round of the NCAA Championship at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Ohio Athletic Conference champion Comets (14-4) received a first-round bye.