POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Union College women's lacrosse team outscored Vassar College by a 10-2 margin in the first half on the way to a 16-8 victory in Liberty League action on Saturday afternoon at Weinberg Field.
 
Sophomore Maddie Doyle led the way for Union (5-4, 3-2 Liberty League) with a game- and career-high four goals. Senior Dana Nelson was one of three Garnet Chargers with three points with a hat trick, and she was joined by junior Greta Maurer (two goals, one assist) and senior Anna Smith (one goal, two assists). Six others had one goal apiece as 10 different players found the net in a well-balanced effort for the visitors.
 
The Garnet Chargers capitalized on an early card to grab the lead in the opening minute thanks to a Maurer tally, and that was followed soon after by Doyle's first of the game to take a 2-0 lead. Vassar (3-8, 2-4 Liberty League) got on the board with a player-up goal of its own, but Union came back with the final three goals of the frame from Doyle and first-years Maddy Schiller and Gillian Joseph to take a 5-1 lead.
 
The second stanza followed the exact same script, with the visitors outscoring the home team by a 5-1 margin once again. This time it was Nelson starting with a player-up tally just nine seconds into the period, followed by Doyle's second of the game. Vassar got back within five before another string of three Union goals to end the frame, with Doyle, Maurer and Smith doing the honors this time.
 
The offenses came to a stand-still in the third quarter, with both teams scoring just one goal, before the offensive floodgates opened up in a 10-goal fourth frame. Included in the goal scoring for Union in the final period was junior Sarah Murphy, sophomore Christina Guanci, and first-years Hannah Compa and Bella Juliano.
 
Union finished the game with a 34-19 edge in shots, including an excellent 5-of-6 effort from the eight-meter arc. Sophomore Sydney Widlitz made eight saves and allowed only six goals in over 54 minutes of action for the visitors, while senior Ella Trout led the defensive effort with four caused turnovers and two ground balls.
 
Union will return home for a North Country weekend beginning on Friday with a 4 p.m. matchup against Clarkson University at Frank Bailey Field.