UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Malone women's lacrosse team earned its first win of the season on the road against the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals 17-5. The Pioneers begin their season 1-0, and the Cardinals fall 0-1. 
 
The first quarter started even as both teams kept the game close throughout the period. Alana Samek scored Malone's first goal of the season, assisted by Abbey Burns, to tie the game 1-1 with 9:05 left on the clock. Saginaw Valley answered back quickly with another goal, but Samek scored her second goal of the game to tie it 2-2, assisted by Meg Ridgway at 7:24. The Cardinals scored a goal at the five-minute mark, but the Pioneers had Ashtyn Praeter on a man-up opportunity with a goal assisted by Jorjia Meza, to end the quarter tied 3-3.
 
The second quarter was all Malone as Praeter gave the pioneers a 4-3 lead with her second goal of the game with 11:55 left in the period. Not long after, Samek recorded a hat trick off an assist by Caroline Bobo with 10:32 on the clock to make the score 5-3. The Pioneers continued their offensive pressure as Cam English and Samek each scored a goal 33 seconds apart to give Malone a 7-3 lead with 7:12 to go. English got on the board again as she scored two more goals to extend the lead to 9-3. In the last 30 seconds, Burns tallied her first goal of the season and gave the Pioneers an impressive 10-3 lead at the half. 
 
Malone continued its dominant performance in the third quarter as English recorded her fourth goal of the game at 14:48. The Pioneers saw English again as she recorded her fifth goal at 6:22 to increase their lead to 12-3. Praeter netted her hat trick goal with 5:45 left in the third period. The Pioneers dominated Saginaw Valley State at center and won all three draws in the third quarter. 
 
English recorded her sixth goal of the game at 13:51 and Ridgway secured her first goal of the game at 13:01 to make the score 15-3. Ridgway tallied another goal later at 8:36, and then Bruns added her second goal to the Pioneers to earn a dominant 17-4 lead. The Cardinals were only able to score one goal in the fourth, giving Malone an impressive 17-5 victory. 
 
The Pioneers were led by English as she recorded a career-high six goals in today's performance, followed up by Samek (4), Praeter (3), Ridgway (2), and Bruns (2). Malone goaltender Sydney Atkinson recorded her first win as a starter (1-0). Atkinson had a 57% (4-for-7) save percentage between the pipes, and second half goaltender Sommer-Jo Grieser stood tall, recording a 60% (3-for-5) save percentage in net as well. 
 
The Pioneers travel to Indiana, on February 21 to take on the Hanover College Panthers at 12:00 P.M.