Crestview Hills, KY – Reegan Hensley and Bella Ricchiazzi combined for 12 goals and 11 assists as the second-ranked Patriots opened MSC play with a 24-2 win over Thomas More Wednesday night at Saints Field.  With the win, UC improves to 10-1 on the season, while the Saints move to 3-7 overall.

Hensley had a career-performance netting six goals, dishing out four assists, and finishing with 10 points all of which are career high's for the sophomore.  Ricchiazzi tied the program record and her career-high with seven assists, while her 13 points in the game ties a career-high and are third most in program history.  Five other Patriots tallied multi-goal games as Stephanie Meyer dished out four assists, while Aleyah Belton notched five points, and two caused turnovers.  Trinity Brown scooped a game-high 12 draw controls as well.

The two teams traded goals in the first minute of action before Olivia McCarrell made one of her six saves to keep the score even.  Belton dished out assists to Katie Wharton, Carolina Johnson, and Hensley to put the Patriots in front 4-1 with 12:07 left in the first quarter.  Two minutes later, Brown scooped a ground ball and started a transition which Ricchiazzi found Hensley for a goal to make it 5-1.  Hensley and Ricchazzi were involved in Cumberlands next five goals with three goals and three assists as Cumberlands took a 10-1 lead after the first quarter.

Erin Bryant won the opening draw control of the second quarter and on that possession Ricchiazzi put a well-placed shot into the cage 26 seconds in.  Belton and Morgan Tate each added a goal before Thomas More cut the lead to 13-2 with 6:37 left.  The Patriots added a pair of goals in the closing minute of the half to extend UC's lead to 15-2 at the break. 

Ricchiazzi and Hensley combined for Cumberlands three third quarter goals, while McCarrell made a save to give the Patriots an 18-2 advantage midway through the period.  The Patriots defense continued to limit the Saints opportunities as they forced a pair of turnovers and tallied a save to take the lead into the fourth quarter.

Cumberlands went 7-7 on draw controls in the fourth quarter to control the possession for majority of the period.  Meyer and Ricchiazzi both tallied a goal and an assist in the first five minutes of the period extending the lead to 21-2.  Morgan Terpstra and Marisa Helsten got in on the scoring as the Patriots pulled away for the 24-2 final. 

UC improves to 6-0 all-time in conference openers in program history.

The Patriots return to the field Friday, March 25, when they host Marian at the UC Lacrosse Complex.  The game is set for 1 p.m. with live video available here and live stats available here.

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