DUDLEY, Mass. (3/15/2025) – The Nichols College women's lacrosse program extended its winning streak to five straight with a triumph over University of Saint Joseph (CT), 18-7, in the team's 2025 home opener at Vendetti Field Saturday afternoon.

The Bison stand tall at 5-0 with the win, while the Blue Jays drop to 1-5 (0-1 GNAC).

Hadley Houghton led all players with a five-goal performance, adding in five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Emma Patton and Sienna Reeves each scored four goals apiece to help pace the Bison attack, with Patton also sneaking in five ground balls. McKenzie Muir, meanwhile, had a team-high seven draw controls and four caused turnovers.

In the net, Briar Slattery (5-0) and Kaleigh Seal each logged 30 minutes of action, combining for six saves.

Houghton notched a hat trick in the game's opening 15 minutes to help put Nichols up 5-2, before penciling in her fourth goal of the game 53-seconds into the second quarter to make it a 6-2 score. Following a USJ response at 11:12, an unassisted goal by Makala Dube spearheaded a 6-0 scoring run by the Bison, which also featured goals from Patton, Reeves and Ali Vozzo to set the margin at 12-3 Bison by the break. 

The break didn't provide much relief for the Blue Jays, as Nichols widened their lead to 15-3 following another trio of unanswered goals in the third, with Gabriella Mandirola ending the run with her fifth of the season from Cali Melo. After back-to-back strikes by the Blue Jays to end their drought, Mandirola would also provide the third-quarter finisher for the Bison this time off a Houghton assist, to give them a 16-5 lead going into the fourth.

Both sides would score twice in the final frame, with Nichols' pair belonging to Patton and Paige Alexander at the front and backend of the period.  

The Bison continue with their non-conference slate with a road contest at Salem State University (4-1) on Wednesday, March 19^th at 5:00 PM.