SPARKILL, New York - The goals piled up quickly, and when all was said and done, the American International College women's lacrosse team did enough to win, taking a 21-20 victory at Saint Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday, February 22.

AIC is now 1-1 on the season.

In the first few minutes, both teams scored quickly; Jordyn Galgay and Isabelle Stone each set the other up before Stone scored a solo tally to give AIC a 3-2 lead just 3:39 in. Kathryn Letteri then finished a pass from Gabrielle Walz on a man-up at 6:55. Galgay then scored two goals just over a minute apart for a hat trick, with Walz and Robin Trombly assisting at 10:20 and 11:21. Ultimately, AIC led 6-4 after one.

The Spartans pulled within one to start the second, but AIC countered with the next three. Galgay set up Stone and Trombly goals, with Walz and Stone scoring unassisted in the stretch. The hosts scored five of the next six, with only a Walz goal right off a draw breaking up the run, but that kept AIC ahead, and Walz set up back-to-back Mackenna Donohue tallies to rebuild AIC's lead to 13-11 after two.

The third was more of the same; Galgay hit the net twice, with the first set up by Walz, who also scored once. The Spartans managed five scores in the period, but AIC tallied six, as Letteri struck from Galgay, and Stone and Walz also hit the twine for a 19-16 edge.

In the fourth, the defenses locked in, as both teams went scoreless for 10 minutes before Hailey Galison scored her fifth of the game for the home team. Walz and Galgay answered, combining for Galgay's second hat trick goal of the day, only for the Spartans to score and then draw two penalties.

They converted the first man-up to pull within one with 2:11 to play and remained on the advantage, but Donohue scored the biggest goal of her young career, a man-down strike with 1:41 to play, for a 21-19 lead. That proved to be the winner, as the Spartans scored one more for the 21-20 final.

Galgay and Walz scored 10 points apiece, with Galgay striking six times and setting up four more and Walz flipping that with four tallies and six helpers; Galison had 10 for the Spartans with a five-five split. Stone scored five times with one assist. 

In addition to the point totals, Walz won nine draws and four ground balls; Galgay and Sophia Sellins each took an additional five draw controls.

Maggie Kloster earned her first AIC win with 14 saves in 57:21; Emily French made her lacrosse debut in the third, playing 2:39.

Head Coach Jessica Harrison earned the first victory of her collegiate career.

AIC returns to home and Northeast-10 Conference play on Tuesday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m. against Assumption University for its OneLove Game.