Blair Pearre scored a career-best four goals and freshman Lindsey Marshall had her second consecutive hat trick as the Towson University women's lacrosse team moved to 2-0 with a 12-5 victory over UMBC Friday at Tiger Field. Starting this season, the women's lacrosse team will be playing in the newly-renovated Tiger Field. A new grandstand and press box were completed last summer. The facility also has all-new lighting, allowing for night games. The lights include the MUSCO Show-Light package for programmed light shows and effects. Tiger Field is part of the Lower Fields Complex, which also includes two practice facilities. Towson was up 3-2 with one minute left in the first half when senior Kaitlin Thornton and Marshall scored back-to-back goals to give the Tigers a 5-2 halftime cushion. Carly Merlo made seven first half saves. With the score 5-3, Towson went on a 6-0 run over a 16-minute period to pull away. Pearre and Marshall each had two goals during the stretch. All-American defender Sami Chenoweth had a team-best four ground balls and moved ahead of Towson Hall of Famer Shannon Witzel for 10th on the all-time list with 137. Towson opened the 2021 season with a 10-7 win at Mount St. Mary's. Records: Towson – 2-0 UMBC – 0-1 Head coach Sonia LaMonica Postgame Quotes: The 2-0 Start: "It was a great win and a great way to christen the new field. UMBC came out hard. They were physical but our team showed resilience, especially in the second half. I was really pleased with how our defense got disciplined and set the tone for the rest of the team." The play of Carly Merlo and Towson defense: "Carly had a great game. We talked after the Mount game. She wasn't ready in the first half of that one but this one she put both halves together. She was really consistent today and I am really happy with her performance. The entire defense played great. They communicated well, moving well and were very disciplined." Blair Pearre's game: "Blair is a great finisher when she gets inside and finds a way to really penetrate in and get around the goalie. UMBC's goalie had us in stitches early. Getting on the inside and getting some of those closer shots was key and that is where Blair thrives." Lindsey Marshall's back-to-back hat tricks: "She is just a smart lacrosse player. She has great hands and when she gets her hands free, she is a phenomenal finisher and she did that again today. I am really excited to see where career goes. It is going to be a bright one." How it Happened: Four and half minutes into the game, Shelby Stack gave Towson a 1-0 lead. It was the second consecutive game the graduate student scored the opening goal. Almost 13 minutes later, Nikki Sliwak switched hands and finished making it 2-0 Tigers. Pearre scored her first of the afternoon giving Towson a 3-1 advantage with 8:29 left in the half. It was 3-2 when Stack found Thornton, who beat UMBC keeper Lexi Roberts, to make it 4-2 with 58.7 seconds left in the half. Marshall scored a free-position goal with 5.1 seconds remaining in the opening 20 minutes, giving Towson a 5-2 advantage. With the score 6-3, Pearre scored an unassisted goal and then fed Thornton on the doorstep during a two and a half minute stretch to make the score 8-3 with 18:19 to play. Four minutes later, Rayna Deltuva stripped a UMBC attacker from behind, grabbed the groundball and started a fast break. Marshall weaved her way through the Retriever defense to put Towson up 9-3. Pearre scored a free-positon goal and then Marshall scored again, giving Towson an 11-3 advantage. Pearre added her fourth goal of the game on a free-position tally with 5:08 to play. Key Stats: Towson converted on all 27 clear attempts. For the second consecutive game, Merlo had a career-best save percentage (.643), stopping nine shots and allowing only five goals. For the season, the sophomore has a .600 save percentage. The five goals allowed are the lowest since holding Elon to four goals on April 12, 2019. The Tigers have held opponents under 10 goals in both games this season. During the 2018 campaign, Towson held opponents to less than 10 goals in four straight contests from April 6 through 15. Marshall won five second half draw controls and has nine in two career games. Inside the Numbers: Pearre has now scored at least two goals in seven of eight games at the collegiate level. Thornton had a pair of goals. It was the 32nd time in 45 career games that the senior has produced multiple points. Stack has now scored at least one goal in 22 of the last 24 games, dating back to 2019. Chenoweth caused two turnovers, increasing her school record total to 156. Next Game: Towson will host #4/#5 Loyola (0-0) on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Tiger Field. Game time is 5 p.m. The game will be streamed on Towson Sports Network with Ben Rosenbaum on the call. Live stats will be available on TowsonTigers.com. It is the second of four consecutive home games for Towson, who will also host George Mason (Sunday, Feb. 28) and Stony Brook (Sunday, Mar. 7).