SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's lacrosse team earned its fourth straight win to get off to the best five-game start to a season since 2008 with a 19-0 blanking of Smith College in non-conference action on Wednesday evening at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
 
With the fourth straight victory, Union (4-1) has four wins in the first five games of the season for the first time since the 2008 squad started the year with eight straight victories. The 4-1 start is tied for the third-best in program history, behind the 2008 team and the 1986 team that also won its first five contests.
 
The win is Union's first shutout since a 16-0 victory over Bard College on April 1, 2017 and the largest shutout for the program since a 21-0 rout of Siena College on April 21, 1998. Overall, it marks the seventh time in program history that Union has put up a clean sheet.
 
Senior Sydney McPartlon led a balanced Union attack with four goals, and she was matched for the game-high in points by sophomore Morgan Adams with two goals and two assists. Senior Dana Truini added three goals, a game-high six draw controls and three ground balls, while both classmate Katie Julien (2-1-3) and sophomore Greta Maurer (1-2-3) had three-point nights as well. Junior Nicole Turpin and first-year Christina Guanci scored twice each, while sophomore Sarah Murphy and first-year Maddie Doyle added one tally apiece.
 
Union dominated in all facets of the game, posting a 34-6 edge in shots and a huge 20-2 edge in draw controls. The home team also limited Smith (4-4) to just a 6-of-18 mark on clear attempts and caused 13 of Smith's 18 turnovers.
 
Union outshot Smith 16-0 in the opening period, which saw the home team score eight times. Julien had a team-best three points in the frame with two goals and an assist, with McPartlon also scoring two times in the first 15 minutes. Five different players scored for Union in the second stanza, as the team needed only six shots to add to the comfortable advantage headed into halftime.
 
The home team took only 12 shots in the final 30 minutes of play, scoring six times to account for the final score.
 
First-year Sydney Widlitz and junior Hannah Dubinsky combined for the shutout, with Dubinsky making two saves in the second half to preserve the clean sheet. Defensively, junior Dana Nelson grabbed three ground balls and caused three turnovers while also controlling five draws.
 
Union will begin its arduous Liberty League slate on Saturday, when the team makes the short trip to Skidmore College for a noon matchup in Saratoga Springs.