ASTON, Pa. - Playing in its first game of the 2018 season, the Neumann University women's lacrosse team started the year off strong, picking up an emphatic 19-9 victory over Goucher College on Saturday afternoon.
 
Kaitlyn Conrad and Brittany Cassidy were the offensive catalysts on the afternoon for the Knights, each scoring five goals in the win. Melanie Setting (3 g) and Carlee Herrin (2 g) also tallied multi-goal games, while senior goalie Gabby Curry finished with four saves in net.
 
Neumann would open its season with a bang, scoring five times in the first 7:28 to jump out to an early 5-0 lead through a pair of goals from Cassidy and single tallies from Conrad, Herrin and Callie Swegon.
 
Goucher answered back at the 21:23 mark to get on the board, but the Knights would respond back with six unanswered tallies to take a commanding 11-1 lead midway through the first half. Cassidy and Conrad combined for five of the six goals during the run, with Setting also adding her first career Neumann goal. The Gophers found the game's next two goals to cut the Neumann lead to eight, but three more unanswered Knight goals just before halftime from Setting, Kim Hesser and Keri Mallon made it 14-3 at the break.
 
With a comfortable 11 goal lead in the second half, Neumann cruised the rest of the way. The Knights received a pair of goals from Conrad in the frame to go along with markers from Herrin, Setting and Meghan McKewen as the team rolled to the 19-9 season opening win.
 
Neumann (1-0) returns to action next Wednesday, February 21st when it plays its first road contest of the season at Widener University. Game-time is scheduled for 6:00 PM.