By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant

TACOMA, WA – The Willamette University women's lacrosse team opened Northwest Conference action on Saturday, March 9 at The University of Puget Sound. The Bearcats remained unbeaten on the season, topping the Loggers, 23-3, to improve to 2-0 and 1-0 in the NWC.

Willamette tied a school record for goals scored in a game, matching the 23 goals scored against California Lutheran University in a 23-3 win on April 4, 2023. The Bearcats finished one goal away from the school record for margin of victory (21), set in a 21-0 win over Augsburg University (Minn.) on March 16, 2022.

The Bearcats put five goals on the board in the first quarter and found the net nine times in the second to take a 14-3 lead into halftime. Lily Bachiochi (Jr., A, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) fed Claire Kisielnicki (So., A, Manitou Springs, CA/Manitou Springs HS) for the first goal, and then scored on her own, to put Willamette out in front 2-0.

Alyssa Molisee (Fy., M/A, Henderson, NV/Nevada State HS) and Kisielnicki scored back-to-back in a two-minute span to stretch the lead to 4-0 before the Loggers answered with 3:23 remaining in the period. PS struck again at the 1:32 mark and Cedric Shaw (Fy., M, Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS) tallied for the Bearcats to end the period with a 5-2 advantage.

Willamette scored eight straight goals to extend the margin to 13-2 in the second period. Kisielnicki started the run, followed by Kendyl Jennings (Sr., M, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) scoring just over a minute later. Molisee made the score 8-0 before Bachiochi found the net twice and dished out an assist on the first of two back-to-back goals from Brooklynn Pearl (So., M, Eugene, OR/Willamette HS).

Shaw sandwiched a pair of goals around the lone goal from Puget Sound to send the game into halftime, 14-3. Willamette outscored the hosts, 6-0, in the third quarter, scoring four free position goals. Kisielnicki and Molisee each struck twice with Bachiochi and Shaw adding scores as well.

The Bearcats tacked on three more in the fourth quarter for the final of 23-3. Shaw and Molisee each tallied their fifth of the game with Catie Mohr (So., D/M, Portland, OR/Wilson HS) closing things out with her second goal of the season.

Molisee added four ground balls and a pair of turnovers to her five-goal afternoon. Shaw and Kisielnicki finished with five goals while Bachiochi netted four to go with two assists. The Bearcats were dominant on the draw, 21-6, with Shaw controlling nine draws, while Shea Richardson-Pepper (Jr., D/M, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) came away with six and Pearl tallied four.

Olivia Austin (Fy., GK, San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) made three saves between the pipes behind another outstanding performance from the Bearcats' defense. They have held opponents to just five goals in the first two games of the season.

Willamette returns home to host Pacific University on Sunday, March 10. The opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. PDT.