HAVERFORD, Pa. - A balanced attack helped the Haverford College women's lacrosse team register a season-opening 18-12 win over host Cabrini College in non-conference action at Edith Robb Dixon Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Four different Fords (1-0) scored at least three goals in the victory led by freshman Sarina Manetta who tallied four goals in her first collegiate contest. Senior Megan Gallagher, junior Diana Perry and freshman Maura Grant added three goals each. Grant also registered her first collegiate assist in the game.
Perry picked up where she left off last season as she opened the scoring with an unassisted goal just a minute into play. The squad's leading scorer in 2013, Perry finished with three goals overall including one free-position tally.
Haverford pushed out to a 4-0 lead as Hannah Morgan, Christina Gould and Gallagher also found the back of the net in the opening 15 minutes of the contest.
Cabrini (0-1) pulled within one at 7-6 on Katie Lasater's third goal of the half with just over a minute remaining until intermission. Grant then gave the Fords a two-goal cushion at the break when she converted a pass from Gould with 12 ticks left on the first-half clock.
The two squads traded goals over the initial eight minutes of the second half before Sasha Wozniak brought the Cavaliers within one (10-9) with her third of the day with 20-plus minutes remaining in the game.
Two goals from Manetta and one from Perry extended the Haverford lead back to four (13-9) before Cabrini, the defending champions of the Colonial States Athletic Conference, closed within two at the 14:46 mark.
The Cavaliers would get no closer however as the Fords scored five of the last six goals of the game to claim the road victory.
Morgan finished with two goals and an assist while sophomore Elyse Adler and freshman Courtney Carter contributed a goal and two assists apiece.
Senior Shannon Horn tallied 10 saves and five ground balls on the way to registering the 14th victory of her career.
Lasater paced the Cavaliers with four goals on six shots. Senior goalie Janel Folkomer made 15 saves in the loss.
Haverford now turns its attention to Saturday's home opener against York (Pa.) College. The game against the Spartans, ranked 11th in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association preseason poll, begins at noon.