Cowdin Sets Single-Game Draw Record In Season Finale Win

The Central Connecticut women's lacrosse team closed its 2023 season with a 17-10 win over Northeast Conference host Howard University Saturday afternoon.

Madison Cowdin set a school record with 12 draw controls, while Lauren Valluzzi tallied seven points and Olivia Gianakos scored six times in the win.

Cowdin finished the season with 53 draw controls, which ranks fifth in a single-season in program history. Gianakos finished with 34 goals this season, the 11^th most in a single-campaign in program history.

GAME INFORMATION

Score: CCSU 17, Howard 10

Records: CCSU (4-11; 2-6 NEC); Howard 0-15; 0-8 NEC)

Location: Greene Stadium | Washington, DC

KEY MOMENTS

• Talie Richardson started the scoring at the 8:11 mark, netting a pass from Valluzzi
• The Blue Devils would score three times in 1:52 to take a 3-0 lead
• Howard netted the next four goals, taking a 4-3 edge on Madison Joines' second goal with 12:50 to play in the second quarter
• Valluzzi drew the Blue Devils even at the 11:32 mark, and then following another Joines tally, Gianakos (8:43) and Richardson (4:33) scored for a 6-5 lead
• Howard tallied goals at the 3:57 mark and 2:10, taking the 7-6 edge, before a Gianakos free position goal with 70 seconds left sent the teams to intermission knotted at 7-7
• Gianakos scored 1:43 into the second half, the first of five CCSU goals in the quarter, and was part of an 8-0 CCSU run that was capped by Brieanna Bernier with 13:16 to play in the game and the lead 15-7
• The Blue Devils would answer every Howard goal the rest of the way, with Bella Santos scoring with 18 seconds left for the final margin

NOTES

• Cowdin set the school record for draw controls that she tied earlier this year (10) and shared with CCSU head coach Betsy Vendel, who first accomplished the feat March 15, 2011 versus Liberty
• Gianakos had her 10^th hat trick in two seasons as a Blue Devil and the six goals is her most in a CCSU uniform in a single-season
• She was 4-4 on her 8-meter opportunities
• Richardson had her third career hat trick, had three draw controls and two caused turnovers
• Valluzzi's six assists is a single-game career-high, and her seven points is the second most in a game this season, after tallying nine at FDU
• Cowdin also caused seven turnovers in the win for CCSU
• Adrianna Richards made eight saves in the game to earn the win
• Shaelyn Yermal, Chloe Leiter and Bernier all scored twice