BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Three Blackbirds posted hat tricks or better as the LIU Brooklyn women's lacrosse team downed Saint Mary's (CA), in Moraga, Calif. on Tuesday night. The team scored 11 goals in both the first and second half to defeat the Gaels, 22-9.

Junior Mary McQueen scored six times, scoring a hat trick in both halves to lead LIU in the win.

Freshman Kathryn Harvey also earned six points by tallying four goals and tacking on two assists. Junior Jenn Peters found the back of the net three times, and aided also with an assist.

A total of nine Blackbirds would contribute to the scoring efforts in the win. Dale Cosgrave (2), Carlie Robinson, Candice Mosal (2), Becca Williams, Tori Shinkowitz (2) and Jayde Sains also aided in the 22 goals scored. It would be Williams, Sains and Mosal's first goal in a Blackbird uniform.

The Blackbirds would jump out to an early lead, after Harvey and McQueen each put the ball away within the first seven minutes of the contest. Saint Mary's would respond, to cut the lead 2-1. But LIU would only use the response as fuel, outscoring the Gaels 11-5 in the first half, and 11-4 in the second half.

Holding the Gaels to just nine goals overall was both senior Alexis Maldonado and freshman Virginia Gibbons, who split time between the pipes on Tuesday. Maldonado earned the start, posting five saves in the first half, earning the win and boosting her record to 2-3. Gibbons, the netminder in the second half, stopped the same amount of shots.

Along with her two goals, Tori Shinkowitz continued her valiant defensive efforts, after tallying seven draw controls and causing two turnovers during the matchup.

McQueen not only led the team in scoring, but also caused three turnovers during the game, the most on the squad.

The Blackbirds will have a week off, and return to action in upstate N.Y. on Wednesday, March 16. The Blackbirds will take on the Saints of Siena that day, with a first draw set for 4:00pm.