DUDLEY, Mass. – Sophomore Brooke Marion (South Hadley, Mass.) scored five goals to lift the Nichols College women's lacrosse team to a 20-9 win over non-conference foe Smith College Tuesday night in the season-opener at Vendetti Field.

Freshman Lindsay O'Connell (Danvers, Mass.) potted four in her collegiate debut as the Bison (1-0) delivered first-year head coach Kathryn Beall a win in her first game at Nichols. Seniors Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.), Alyssa Bufis (Linden, N.J.), and Erica Antonison (Albertson, N.Y.) all recorded hat tricks.

Freshmen Julia Hamilton (Williamstown, Mass.) and Caroline Myran (Philadelphia, Pa.) each scored three times for the Pioneers (0-2), who also received a pair of goals from junior Rachel Silveria (Dunstable, Mass.).

Bufis and Antonison scored 1:25 apart in the first half to give Nichols an early 2-0 lead. Smith scored three of the next four to tie the game at three before the Bison ripped off four-straight tallies – highlighted by a pair from Murphy – to grab a 7-3 lead with 10:33 to go in the first half.

Goals from Myran and Hamilton at 3:11 and 1:48, respectively, brought the visitors to within two (7-5), but goals from Bufis, O'Connell, and Marion in a span of 1:42 send Nichols to the half with a 10-5 advantage. The Bison held a 20-12 edge in shots through the opening 30 minutes.

Smith opened the second half with two goals to make it a 10-7 game, but Marion reeled off three-straight to push the Nichols' lead to six at 13-7. The Bison went on to score five of the next six to take a commanding 18-8 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Sophomore Katherine Cotton (Kennebunk, Maine) registered six saves to earn the win. Freshman Sarah Price (Hudson, Ohio) got the starting nod for the Pioneers and was credited with six saves. Murphy and classmate Stephanie Mathewson (Simsbury, Conn.) each won four draw controls while Silveria won a game-high five for the visitors.

Nichols heads to Orlando, Fla. for games against SUNY Geneseo and FDU-Florham next week. The Pioneers host Simmons Thursday at 5:30 p.m.