Washington, D.C. — The D'Youville women's lacrosse team opened East Coast Conference play with a dominant performance Saturday morning, defeating the University of the District of Columbia 23–1.

The Saints controlled the game from the opening draw, scoring 10 goals in the first quarter to take an early commanding lead. Madison Handley helped power the early surge with multiple goals in the opening frame, while Madison Buck added to the scoring as D'Youville consistently controlled possession.

The Saints continued their momentum in the second quarter. After UDC's Jada Williams put the Firebirds on the board, D'Youville answered with four straight goals to extend its lead to 14–1 at halftime. Danielle Gephart scored twice late in the quarter to help the Saints maintain control.

D'Youville added seven more goals in the third quarter, continuing to dictate the pace. Buck and Gephart each added to their totals, while Lauren Parker scored twice, including a free-position goal, as the Saints stretched the lead to 21–1 entering the final quarter.

Raegan Stevens and Emily Odeychuk each found the back of the net in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring for D'Youville. The goals marked the first of the season for Odeychuk and the first career goal for freshman Stevens.

Handley led the Saints offensively with seven goals and three assists, while Buck finished with five goals and two assists. Gephart added three goals and an assist, and Ireland Costigan recorded two goals and six assists.

D'Youville also controlled possession throughout the game, winning 21 draw controls. Parker led the effort with 13 draw controls, helping the Saints maintain offensive pressure throughout the contest.

In goal, Kaylee Farias made five saves for the Saints, while Sarah Reifsnyder added two saves in relief. D'Youville held UDC to just 11 shots while finishing with 42 shots of its own.

With the win, the Saints improve to 2–3 overall and 1–0 in East Coast Conference play, while the Firebirds fall to 0–5 overall and 0–1 in conference play.