NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College lacrosse team proved it was happy to be home, winning a 20-5 contest over Liberty in non-conference action.  The Gaels returned to Mazzella Field this afternoon after playing five straight games on the road.

The Maroon & Gold got off to a 2-0 start with back to back unassisted goals by Casey Scully and Kasey Hughes in the seventh minute.  Liberty reached the scoreboard two minutes later, cutting the margin to 2-1 when Kristin Crowley picked up her first of four goals on the day with a tally from free position.  Iona then scored five unaswered points and had eight of ten goals to close out the first half with a 10-3 advantage.

The Gaels continued their momentum into the second period, opening with a 3-0 run.  Kylie Gregory recorded two goals while Amber Zimmerlink added a goal and an assist over the span.  Crowly netted the Flames' only two goals of the half in the 19th and 20th minutes.  Iona capped off the victory with a final 7-0 run, including the first career goals for Kayla Smith and Erica Russ in the last minute.

Elizabeth Coholan had a game-high six points on two goals and four assists, and added six ground balls, one draw control, and two caused turnovers.  Four Gaels recorded a hat trick on the day, including Scully, Hughes, Gregory, and Zimmerlink.  Emily Taddei had a pair of goals and Brittney Mabus had one to round out Iona's scorers. 

The Gaels held a commanding 50-22 lead in shot attempts and also led 40-22 in ground balls and 17-10 in draw controls.  Goalkeeper Carlee Street finished the day with 14 saves while Rebekah Luetters had 16 saves for Liberty.

Iona will face Manhattan in the 2010 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener on April 1.  The contest is set for 4:00 pm in Riverdale.