THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 22 MIT 16, Endicott College 8
 
- Records: MIT (1-0); Endicott (0-2)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Jack Barry Field)
 
- The Lead: The No. 22 MIT women's lacrosse team jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back as it went on to defeat Endicott College, 16-8, in its season opener on Saturday. Junior Julianne Flusche (Ridgewood, N.J.) and sophomore Nina Petulla (Natick, Mass.) both generated five points for the Engineers while Mia Smith tallied three goals, one assist, and four draw controls for the Gulls.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Senior Ellie Rabenold (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored back-to-back goals, both assisted by Flusche, to give MIT the small lead four minutes into the game. Junior Sydney Pyon (Garnet Valley, Pa.) quickly followed with an unassisted effort and then Petulla was a factor in the Engineers' next two goals. She scored on a pass from sophomore Monica Petulla (Natick, Mass.) and set up Rabenold for the hat trick with 4:24 on the clock. Senior Meredith Arterburn (Cooksville, Md.) capped the opening quarter run with a player-advantage free-position shot. Endicott ended the shutout when Bailey Sheehan redirected a feed from Gilly Hartt with 1:34 remaining in the frame.
 
- In the second stanza, MIT rattled off five unanswered goals to increase its advantage to 11-1 at the 5:24 mark. Flusche buried a free-position shot and scored on a pass from sophomore Gwen Flusche (Ridgewood, N.J.). The Engineers followed with quick goals by sophomore Ashley Thomas (Summit, N.J.) and Nina Petulla while being down a player and then junior Sydney Pyon (Garnet Valley, Pa.) found the back of the net. The Gulls ended their scoring drought with a pair of goals 20 seconds apart during the final two minutes of the half. Emerson Clark was a factor in both as she scored on a pass from Smith and set up Clare Wendell, trimming the deficit to 11-3.
 
- The third quarter was a defensive battle that saw Endicott have a 2-1 scoring edge. Arterburn provided MIT's lone marker 26 seconds into the frame while Smith accounted for both of the Gulls' goals.
 
- The Engineers had the upper hand in the fourth quarter as they outscored the visitors, 4-3, with Thomas producing three goals for the hosts.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Nina Petulla finished with three goals and two assists while Julianne Flusche posted two goals and three assists. Arterburn tallied two goals, three groundballs, three draw controls, and two caused turnovers as Gwen Flusche notched four groundballs, four draw controls, and two caused turnovers. Senior Katie Bell (Radnor, Pa.) added three groundballs for MIT.
 
- In net, sopohomore Molly Dulde (Delafield, Wis.) collected eight saves in the first half while first-year Ashton Flather (Ipswich, Mass.) closed out the game with three saves for MIT.
 
- Annabelle Gray and Abbie Belleville both notched four draw controls as five players had two groundballs. In net, Lydia Akins recorded eight saves and four groundballs for Endicott.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT returns to action on Saturday, March 2 when it travels to Union College for a 1:00 p.m. game. Endicott, meanwhile, continues its road trip when it visits the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday, Feb. 28 for a 5:00 p.m. tilt.
 
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