BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Apr. 30, 2015) - Senior midfielder Jenna Pierro (Holbrook, N.Y.) and junior defender/midfielder Honey Roche (Centerport, N.Y.) each tallied a season-high five goals Thursday to lift the No. 10/14 and top-seeded LIU Post women's lacrosse team to an 18-5 win over fourth-seeded Molloy in the semifinals of the 2015 East Coast Conference Championship at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Pierro's five-goal performance tied two early-season showings against Mercy (Mar. 4) and Bentley (Mar. 12). As for Roche, her five tallies marked a career-best, topping her previous record of four versus Holy Family on Feb. 28.

Leading 4-3 late in the first half, the Pioneers (14-4) scored three unanswered goals to close out the period and carried a five-goal cushion (8-3) into the break. Senior defender Emily Hanifan (Hicksville, N.Y.) got things started with her second collegiate marker. Pierro and Roche followed with tallies of their own.

In the latter session, LIU Post, which won 20-of-25 draw controls and more than doubled up Molloy (9-7) in shots (38-16) in the contest, pulled away from its opposition early. The Pioneers outscored the Lions by a 9-0 count in the first 15 minutes of the half to widen their advantage to a commanding 16-3. Junior defender/midfielder Cara Douglas (West Islip, N.Y.), sophomore attacker Connor Bird (Syosset, N.Y.), Roche and Pierro all netted two goals apiece in that stretch.

Sophomore attacker Stefani Vagelatos (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) had a game- and season-high six points (2 G, 4 A) in the effort. Bird collected four points (2 G, 2 A) and a game-best eight draw controls. Douglas racked up two goals and an assist for a three-point day. Red-shirt sophomore attacker Emily Delaney (Long Valley, N.J.) allocated three assists and scooped up three ground balls. Senior defender Kali Maxwell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won four draws.

Between the pipes, freshman goalie Olivia Kirk (Farmingdale, N.Y.) relieved Kasey Kephart (Nesconset, N.Y.) in the opening 30 minutes and made seven saves. Senior cageminder Laura Vetter (Great River, N.Y.) stopped nine shots for Molloy.

Head Coach Meghan McNamara and her LIU Post squad now await the victor of the second semifinal between No. 2 seed Dowling and third-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas. The two teams will clash for the ECC title on Saturday (May 2) at noon at Dowling's Golden Lions Field in Brookhaven.