CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's lacrosse team was unable to hold on as UMass Boston claimed a 17-9 victory under the lights at Dave Wolk Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Basics
Final Score: UMass Boston 17, Castleton 9
Location: Dave Wolk Stadium – Castleton, Vt.
Records: UMass Boston 4-8 (2-1 LEC) | Castleton 3-7 (1-2 LEC)

How It Happened
It took just 19 seconds for Castleton to record the first goal of the day, as reigning LEC Rookie of the Week Lanza Bellomo won the opening draw, streaked down the field, and dished to Renny Cota for a 1-0 lead. UMass Boston responded three minutes later with the equalizer.

Cota answered two minutes later, this time off a feed from Bella Gale, before the Beacons matched the score once again to keep the game tied, 2-2, with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Castleton opened the second with unassisted tallies from Phoebe Loomis and Megan Culp to take a 4-2 lead early. UMass Boston answered with six straight goals spanning into the third period to take an 8-4 advantage.

Culp and Loomis again found the back of the net unassisted, cutting the deficit to two at 8-6 with two minutes remaining in the third.

The visitors responded with another run, scoring five consecutive goals to extend their lead to 13-6 early in the fourth quarter.

Bellomo halted the run with an unassisted tally at 11:47, but the Beacons answered just over a minute later to maintain control. Bellomo added two more goals at 10:24 and 2:10, but Castleton was unable to close the gap as UMass Boston's Emily Pearl scored three times in the final frame to secure the 17-9 conference victory.

Inside the Numbers
• Bellomo led the squad offensively with four points on three goals and an assist, while tying for the team lead with four ground balls.
• Culp controlled the draw with a team-best six draw controls and tied for the team lead with three caused turnovers, adding two goals.
• Gracie Hurlbut was steady in the crease, stopping a career-high 10 shots.

What's Next
The Spartans will host UMass Dartmouth for an 11 a.m. Little East Conference matchup on Saturday, April 11.