FRANKLIN, Mass. – March 1, 2022 – The Dean College women's lacrosse team dropped its season opener to Fitchburg State, 22-11 on a chilly Tuesday afternoon at Grant Field.

Dean (0-1) will host Nichols on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Fitchburg State (1-1) travels to Rivier on Thursday for a 4 p.m. start.

Junior Maire Brown (Huntington, N.Y.) and junior Jazzy Sztyler-Magee (Burlington, Conn.) led Dean with four goals apiece. First-year Natalie Peterson (Hudson, Mass.) found the back of the net twice, while first-year Nina Medeiros (Fairhaven, Mass.) scored once in their first collegiate action. Medeiros added a game best six ground balls.

Junior Eva Kozikowski (Portsmouth, N.H.) led all players with 10 points on six goals and four assists in the win for Fitchburg State. First-year Delaney Ponder (East Bridgewater, Mass.) added a hat trick on five shots.

Junior Francesca Reyes (Malden, Mass.) earned the win for the Falcons and made 11 saves. Dean junior Jada Fields (Acushnet, Mass.) finished with six saves.

Brown gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game, but Fitchburg State scored the next 10 goals to lead by nine after the first quarter. Ponder led the visitors with three tallies in the frame.

Dean outscored the Falcons in the second quarter, 3-2, behind goals from Brown, Sztyler-Magee and Medeiros.

Fitchburg State regained control in the third with a 7-3 advantage on the scoreboard to lead 19-7 after 45 minutes. Kozikowski found the back of the net twice for the Falcons, while Peterson had two scores for Dean.

The Bulldogs had a solid final quarter and edged the Falcons, 4-3, in scoring to make the final 22-11 in favor of the visitors. Brown and Sztyler-Magee each had two goals for Dean in the fourth.