Box Score CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina's Kayla Downey led the Coastal Carolina women's lacrosse team to an 18-3 ASUN Conference home win over the Delaware State Hornets on Friday afternoon in Conway, S.C.
 
The win pushed Coastal to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in league play, while the loss dropped the Hornets to 2-10 on the year and 0-2 in ASUN action.
 
Downey tallied three goals and two assists to lead three Chanticleers in scoring multiple goals, which included Avery Przymylski and Reese Allnutt recording their first-career goals. Eleven other Chants notched one goal, while three more players added an assist as the Women in Teal scored 18 goals with the help of 10 assists in the win.
 
CCU's Avery McIlwaine (2 goals) and Maddie Bates (2 goals) both had multiple goals in the win. Alyson Mascolo (1 goal, 2 assists), Sydney McClure (2 assists), Marissa Munson (1 assist), Sophia D'Avella (1, goal, 1 assist), Brooke Gottlieb (1 goal, 1 assist), and Gionna Altebrando (1 assist) joined Downey for the 10 assists.
 
For Delaware State, just three players found the back of the net, as Rossella Nardi, Gwenna Gentle, and Zahra Smith each scored a goal.
 
Earning the win in goal for the Chants was Claire Martell, as the starting goalie allowed one goal on three shot attempts over 15 minutes between the pipes. Sophomore Charlotte Sadler finished out the remaining 15 minutes in the first half in goal and made two saves on six shots, while classmate Kennedy Manning logged the final 30 minutes of action and made one save on eight shot attempts.
 
The loss fell to the Hornets' starter Molysha Brown, who allowed 18 goals and made 17 saves in the contest.
 
Coastal outshot DSU 43-17 for the game and forced 23 turnovers by the visiting team.
 
The Chants opened the contest with a 5-0 burst to take the lead, as Downey sparked the surge with a pair of goals while McIlwaine, Mascolo, and Sophie Kingsborough (1 goal) added goals for the lead with 6:33 left in the first period.
 
Delaware State's Gentle cut the Chants' lead to 5-1 only to see Coastal Carolina respond with the final two goals in the first quarter as both McIlwaine and Abi George (1 goal) found the back of the net with just one-minute expiring off the game clock in the opening stanza for the CCU 7-1 advantage.
 
The Chanticleers' defense stiffened up in the second quarter and held the Hornets' offense in check, while the offense struggled to score after Monica Manley (1 goal) and Bates pushed the Coastal lead to 9-1 with 11:28 remaining in the first half. The Women in Teal extended their lead to 10-1, as D'Avella tallied the woman-down goal off the dish from Mascolo with 5:55 remaining in the second quarter. The first half ended on a flurry of turnovers by each team with the Chants holding a 10-1 advantage.
 
Despite trailing by nine goals, the Hornets needed just 1:53 into the third quarter to score its second goal of the game as Dylan Wilkes passed to a wide-open Smith to cut the deficit to eight at 10-2. Coastal responded with two quick goals to lead 12-2 and forced the running clock.
 
Delaware State recorded its final goal of the contest, as Nardi beat the CCU defense for the free-position goal to stop the running clock momentarily.
 
Coastal closed the third period with goals by Brigid Cardillo and Riley Glackin to start the running clock for a second time in the contest and lead 14-3.
 
With the game in hand, the Chanticleers used just 34 seconds off the game clock to start the final period with Gottlieb finding the back of the net for the 15-3 lead. Coastal Carolina extended its advantage to 16-3, as Downey recorded her ninth hat trick off the assist by Altebrando.
 
The Chants' Downey closed the book on her day as the senior connected with freshman Przymylski to increase the CCU advantage to 17-3. Coastal Carolina got a glimpse of the future as the freshmen tandem of Mascolo and Allnutt teamed up for the final tally to put the score at 18-3 for the final margin.
 
Coastal will return to action next week as the Chanticleers step out of ASUN Conference play to host Vanderbilt on Wednesday, April 12. The opening draws for both contests are scheduled for noon ET.
 
For complete coverage of CCU women's lacrosse, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalWLax (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.