Danville, Va. -- Leah Dumas and Nicki Santora each collected hat tricks, helping University of Lynchburg's women's lacrosse team to a 16-8 season-opening victory at Averett Saturday afternoon.

Dumas added a team-high three assists for the Hornets, while Jordan Nilsen led Lynchburg's defensive effort with three caused turnovers.

The Hornets got behind in the first minute of the game, but freshman goalie Patricia Rogers made a couple key saves to keep the deficit short, and Alla Daniel tied the game with 12:45 remaining in the first period. Both teams played good defense for the remainder of the first, but Averett broke through again with 13 seconds left to take a 2-1 lead into the first break.

Lynchburg wasted no time in the second. Leah Dumas won the opening draw and scored just 26 seconds into the quarter, and Dumas assisted a Tori King goal less than 3 minutes later for the Hornets' first lead of the game. The teams traded goals and entered halftime knotted at 5-5.

The second half was all Lynchburg. The Hornets scored four goals in the third – two by Dumas and one each by Santora and Payton Saville – and seven more in the fourth to earn some breathing room in the late going. Dara Gregory scored both her goals in the fourth to finish with a pair of goals and two assists, and Daniel put her second in the back of the net with 10 seconds remaining for her sixth-career multi-goal game.

Rogers made eight saves in her collegiate debut, stopping half the shots the Cougars sent her way.

Lynchburg (1-0) will take two weeks away from competition before returning Saturday, March 5 for a 4 p.m. home-opener against Southern Virginia.

Visit Lynchburg athletics' home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network. Click here to sign up for email and text alerts from Lynchburg athletics.

Give Lynchburg Sports a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg athletics on Instagram and Twitter.

--LYN--