Coming into the final stretch of the regular season, teams are tested to play their best in hopes of playing for a championship. Every game is meaningful, but in the final games, winning is the only thing that matters for a team with the potential to make noise in the postseason and make a run at becoming the number one team in the conference.

The New Haven lacrosse team put their best foot forward on Wednesday afternoon, getting back in the win column with a massive 19-4 win over Saint Michael’s College. Scoring 10 consecutive goals in the first half, the Chargers were in control from the start as they displayed their depth with goals from 10 different players on the way to the win.

After Saint Michael’s took a 2-0 lead in the first three minutes of play, New Haven took over and rattled off 10 straight scores to open up an eight-goal lead as they continued to cash in on their consistent scoring chances. With 24 shots in the first half, the Chargers kept up heavy pressure on the Purple Knights, not allowing them to generate any momentum to bring themselves back in the game.

Five players tallied multiple goals for New Haven, as attackers Cameryn Antler and Marielle Colalillo led the way with four scores each. Their heavy attack throughout the game gave them the opportunity to establish a big lead early, entering halftime with a 12-3 lead.

New Haven kept up their dominant performance in the second half, outscoring Saint Michael’s 5-0 in the third quarter. Despite scoring nearly 20 goals, the Chargers’ defense was just as strong as they did not allow a shot in the third.

Junior goalkeeper Gabby Buscemi was faced with only six shots before being taken out, bringing in sophomore Madeline Sage for the final 11 minutes of the game, in which she faced three shots and saved two of them.

With just 10 shots in the game, Saint Michael’s did not cut into the deficit at all, turning the ball over 24 times, unable to pick up ground balls and control the ball off the draw.

New Haven saw contributions from all over the field with another run of consecutive goals, netting nine in a row that put the game completely out of reach for Saint Michael’s. Attacker Lindsey Belmonte capped off the scoring for the Chargers, putting them ahead by 16 with 6:46 left to play.

New Haven closed out the game with a massive 19-4 win, going into the final game of the regular season with the chance to seal a playoff spot in the Northeast-10 championships. The Chargers will stay at home as they take on Bentley University on Saturday, April 29. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. as they look to make it back to the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season. More information can be found at newhavenchargers.com.