CASTLETON, Vt. – The Union College women's lacrosse team scored the first 15 goals of the game and never looked back in posting a commanding 18-3 victory over Castleton University in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday afternoon at Dave Wolk Stadium.
 
Union (1-1) spread around the offense in the victory, with 12 different players finding the net. Senior Elena Gerrato led all players with a career-high five points on four goals and an assist, followed by junior Anna Smith and sophomore Sarah Murphy with two goals and a helper each. Senior Sydney McPartlon chipped in a pair of goals, while three Union players – junior Nicole Turpin and first-years Maddie Doyle and Emily Moore – all scored their first collegiate goals as well for the visitors.
 
The first half was all Union, as the visitors scored the only 15 goals of the first two frames to take control of the game. Eleven different players scored in the opening half, with no player netting more than two. The visitors outshot the home team 28-3 in the opening 30 minutes and first-year Sydney Widlitz needed to make just one save to keep the scoresheet clean.

McPartlon opened the scoring 34 seconds into the contest and had a team-leading two goals in the opening frame, including a highlight-reel no-look tally off a feed from Smith. Six other players had one goal each in the period, which saw the visitors post a 16-3 edge in shots.  
The shots were 12-0 in favor of Union in the second stanza, as the visitors put seven more goals on the board. Doyle added her first career tally with 10:50 left to extend the lead to 11, followed by a player-down goal from Murphy. Turpin made it a 13-0 lead with her first career tally, and goals from junior Audrey Larson and sophomore Morgan Adams gave Union a 15-goal advantage at the half.
 
Union took its foot off the gas in the second half, taking only seven total shots and scoring three times. Moore's first collegiate goal was the only Union tally of the third frame, while Gerrato scored two times in the fourth to complete the scoring.
 
For the game, Union outshot Castleton by a 35-11 margin. Widlitz and junior Hannah Dubinsky both made one save each in the victory.
 
Union will return home for its first game of the year at Frank Bailey Field on Sunday, when the team hosts Mount St. Mary College for a 1 p.m. contest.