Looking for a spark after a three-game losing skid, Central Connecticut lacrosse’s offense caught fire Friday, scoring at a season-high pace that led to a decisive 16-4 win over Presbyterian.

The Blue Devils were hot on both sides of the ball from the start of the match, going up 3-1 in the opening 10 minutes after three separate players scored. Senior Carson Adelberger scored first and wouldn’t stop there, landing herself a hat trick before the first half was over. She finished the day with five of the Blue Devils’ 16 goals, a total she had matched just weeks earlier in a win over Hartford.

Showing leadership and unselfishness, Adelberger was quick to credit her teammates before mentioning her own offensive prowess.

“I wouldn’t have been able to get half those goals without the help of my teammates down on attack with me, they set me up on so many of those goals. Definitely give them props too,” Adelberger explained.

A problem Central often runs into in its losses this season is a disparity in shots. In the Blue Devils’ four losses, they have been out shot by opponents by an average of 21 shots per game. The Blue Devils were on the other side of the spectrum Friday, however, out shooting Presbyterian 35 to eight, and only allowing a single shot over the course of the second half.

On the win, head coach Betsy Vendel credited the team as a whole as reason for their success.

“I told them at the beginning of the game it needed to be a top to bottom team win. It needed to be everyone contributing, everyone working hard for each other and everyone having each other’s backs, and it showed in our stats like how many ground balls, how many caused turnovers we had,” Vendel said.

Standout freshman Jessica Denike, who is third on the Blue Devils in scoring with six goals on the season, netted two more against the Blue Hose, continuing to show maturity in her game. Fellow freshman Raphaela DeSilva also scored her second goal of the young season.

“I think the freshmen are catching up and they’re stepping up and recognizing now that ‘we’re gonna be contributors’ and people trust them to be contributors,” said Vendel on the young Blue Devils.

The turnovers and defense as a whole mentioned by Vendel were a huge factor in the team’s win, causing 19 Presbyterian turnovers on the game and swarming to the ball. The Blue Devils, on the other hand, kept things tight on offense, committing only nine turnovers on the day.

“We were able to transition the ball because we were all working hard for each other,” Vendel explained. “Almost every single person who we put in on the midfield or on the attack scored at least one goal or contributed with an assist. That’s what we need on the stat sheet. We need everyone contributing somehow. We were very unselfish on the offensive end which I think is why we were successful, we just have to carry that team mentality throughout [the season].”

The team will look to carry that winning mentality on the road this week, as they take on Monmouth and Drexel on the 20th and 23rd, respectively.