University of Albany Women's Lacrosse Begins America East Conference Play With 18-5 Win Against Vermont - UAlbany Sports 2010

Burlington, Vt. - Kayla Best scored a season-high five goals in leading UAlbany to seventh consecutive win in an 18-5 triumph over Vermont in the Great Danes' America East Conference opener on Wednesday, March 31 at Moulton Winder Field.

UAlbany (7-1, AE 1-0) leaped to a 4-0 advantage as Amanda Pollock and Best tallied 36 seconds apart. Olivia Jarem had two of her career-high four goals to finish off that outburst. Vermont (2-6, AE 0-1) sliced the lead in half when Alison Haigh and Allison Pfohl each converted free-position opportunities.

Still leading 7-4 later in the first stanza, Pollock connected on a free-position shot with 1:32 remaining and Best scored unassisted with 10 seconds left before the break. Pollock, a sophomore who is in her first season with the program after transferring from Connecticut, had her top effort as a collegian with four goals and two assists.

The Great Danes, who are off to their best start as a Division I program, ripped off six unanswered to begin the final half. Pollock ignited that run with a pair of goals, the second off Christine Grueniger's feed. Jarem, a senior midfielder, also scored twice in that stretch. Best gave her team a commanding 15-4 lead with 16:32 to play.

Best, a senior who also had one assist, finished with the second-best scoring total of her career and extended her goal scoring to 54 consecutive games, second among the nation's longest streaks. Grueniger accounted for two goals and three assists, as her team won its conference opener for the second year in a row.

Vermont's Megan MacDonald had one goal and one assist. The Great Danes have won 10 of 11 meetings in the series, but this was a rare one-sided contest as eight of the previous matchups have been decided by two goals or less.

Paw Prints: UAlbany is now 4-5 in America East Conference openers ... the Vermont series had previously produced five one-goal games and two overtime decisions ... Christine Grueniger became the 12th player in the program's history to reach the 100-point mark ... Grueniger has 79 goals and 22 assists for 101 career points ... Kayla Best upped her career total to 177 points (146 goals, 31 assists) and needs 16 more to break the school's all-time scoring record ... freshman Jess Antelmi tallied her first goal as a collegian in the final minute of play.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information