SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - It was a night full of milestones and firsts for the American International College women's lacrosse team, which secured the first win of the Justin Dionne era with a 14-5 victory against Saint Thomas Aquinas College on Tuesday, March 17.

AIC is now 1-5 on the season.

The Yellow Jackets went on an early scoring rampage, with Gabrielle Walz securing a hat trick in the first 1:47 of play; the first was a free position shot, the second was set up by Isabelle Stone, and the third was a great individual effort.

Stone then set up Lettieri for a goal at 3:10, and AIC kept pouring it on. Walz made it four in 4:16, then Sophia Sellins drew a free position bid and hit the net at 8:38 for her second of the season. After one, AIC led by a 6-0 score.

The Spartans broke the shutout early in the second with a goal by Jada Garcia at 4:41, but the rest of the frame belonged to AIC. Walz notched her fifth of the game at 12:12, and then Victoria Nelson drew a free position bid and converted it for her first collegiate lacrosse goal at 13:56, giving AIC an 8-1 halftime lead.

Walz and Stone both connected 40 seconds apart to give AIC a 10-1 lead at the 5:32 mark of the third; the teams traded goals down the stretch of the quarter, with Sellins setting up Stone at 10:05 and Stone finding Lettieri open for a strike at 11:28, leaving AIC ahead 12-3 after three. 

Both teams scored twice in the fourth, with Stone and Lettieri capping hat tricks at 5:23 and 7:07 respectively, as AIC earned the 14-5 win.

On top of Nelson's first, Stone's initial goal in the game gave her 50 for her career, and the hat trick was the first three-goal game for Lettieri. 

Walz, who assisted Lettieri's final goal, had a seven-point night, and her career-best 11 draw controls moved her past AIC Athletics Hall of Fame inductee-to-be Katie Warner '10 for the fourth-most in program history with 143.

Maggie Kloster was strong between the pipes, making nine saves.

AIC will return to Northeast 10 Conference play when Adelphi University visits Abdow Field on Friday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m.