Belmont Abbey senior attack Laura Dowd scored a game-high six goals on ten shots and won five draw controls as the Crusaders women's lacrosse team gave first year coach Jenn Flaherty her first collegiate win as head coach with a 15-11 non-conference win at Queens this evening. The Abbey is now 1-1, while Queens falls to 2-1.

Dowd scored four goals on her first four shots as the Crusaders scored five unanswered goals in the first half to turn a 5-3 deficit into an 8-6 haltime lead. Dowd scored four of her goals in the first half, while Elyse Mohn scored twice and Katy Connery and Rebecca Diggs had lone goals apiece.

Belmont Abbey pulled away in the second half, outscoring Queens 7-1 to open the final 30 minutes, to grab a 15-7 lead. Four different Crusaders scored in the run: Dowd, Mohn, Emily Hudgins and Megan Patton, who found the back of cage three times.

Queens closed the game by scoring the final four goals, but the Abbey's lead was too great as it went on to win for the first time.

Dowd's six goals led all players, while Patton and Mohn finished with three each. Connery and Diggs both scored once. Mohn, Hudgins and Molly Schaefer all had one assist. The Crusaders finished with 25 shots and scooped up 19 ground balls as Lauren DiChiara totaled five. Tory Morgan made seven saves in the cage.