The Pitt women’s lacrosse team won its third consecutive match to open up the program’s inaugural season, crushing St. Bonaventure 22-8 at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
Paige Petty continued her strong week, scoring four goals to tie for the team lead after netting three in Friday’s win over Siena. The senior attacker now has seven goals in three games, second amongst the Panthers.
Fellow senior attacker and Florida transfer Madisyn Kittell also had a strong game against the Bonnies, recording four goals and two assists after tallying just one assist in the first three games this season. Her first goal of the afternoon was the 30th of her NCAA career.
The visitors took an early lead in this one, with St. Bonaventure getting three goals in the first five minutes to take a 3-1, but Petty and Kittell started a Pitt rally that put the Panthers up for good. Kittell assisted Petty’s goal at 7:54, then scored two straight of her own to put Pitt in the lead for the first time in the match.
Leading Pitt scorer Kate Elam added her first of two goals on the day and Dylana Williams also scored before the end of the first quarter to make it 6-3 Panthers. Elam has nine goals to pace Pitt through three games.
After St. Bonaventure made it 6-4 early in the second, Elam, Petty, Chloe Jones and Carlie Leach scored in succession. Another Bonnies goal was followed by four more Panthers tallies, two from Petty, one from Kittell and one from Payton Reed to put Pitt up 14-5 going into the break.
Following two Bonnies goals to start the third, Elam scored her second and Kittell netted her fourth, putting aside any hope of a second-half charge by the visitors.
Paulina DiFatta started her third straight game in goal, turning aside 9 of 17 shots. Riley Patrick.
The Panthers (3-0) will host North Carolina on Thursday at Highmark Stadium for their first ACC match. That match will start at 4 p.m. Non-conference play will continue through league play, with the Panthers next visiting Canisius for their first road match on Feb. 27.
