SALISBURY, N.C. - The Saint Leo women's lacrosse team kicked off its 2014 campaign on a high note, downing Catawba College by a score of 14-2 in regional action on Saturday afternoon.  The win opens the Lions' slate with a mark of 1-0, while Catawba drops to 0-2.

Joanna Chadwick netted a hat trick to lead the day, while Alix Murray, Danica Leili, Allie Sheftall and Christina Minneci scored two goals apiece.  Cassie Miller, Emily Pittenger and Kelsey Burns each contributed a goal on the afternoon.  Murray added two assists for a game high four points, while Miller, Minneci, and Caroline Fraser each dished out one assist.

The Indians saw scoring efforts from Meredith Jones and Alyssa Corace, both scored on free position shots.

In cage for Saint Leo, Brittany Millsap made five saves while facing seven shots.  Nicole Sirota-Plotnikov closed out the game seeing eight and a half minutes of action, earning one save on one shot faced.  Bethany Davis for Catawba made a total of 11 saves on the afternoon while facing 28 shots and 25 shots on goal from the Lions.

Saint Leo jumped out to a quick two goal lead before Corace put a goal on the board with 26:18 to go before the half.  The Lions racked up six more to pull ahead to an 8-1 lead, but Catwba posted one more goal to close out the period with the scoreboard showing 8-2 in favor of Saint Leo at the half.

The Lions cruised through the second half, adding six more goals and holding the Indians off of the board in the final 30 minutes of play en route to the 14-2 final score.

Saint Leo won 13-of-18 draw controls, and dominated the shot count, 28-9.  The Lions picked up 26 ground balls to Catawba's 18, and were successful on 11-of-15 clear attempts.

The Saint Leo women's lacrosse team returns to action on Monday, February 24, when they take on Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, N.C.  Game time against the Bears is set for 1:00 p.m.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women's lacrosse team, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.