JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— Six of Jacksonville University's women's lacrosse players will soon walk across a stage to receive their diplomas, but on Saturday, April 11, the soon-to-be-graduates led the way in a 21-6 Senior Day victory over Mercer.

"Holly (Ventimiglia) was a major leader today," said Head Coach Mindy McCord. "Our team stepped up and played for our seniors. We were able to play everyone available on our roster, which is important when you are trying to develop a team with lots of experience. We need to get more consistent, but overall I was really happy with the performance."

Ventimiglia, a senior from Medford, N.Y., paced the Dolphins with six goals and one assist; she also collected two ground balls and went 2-for-2 in free-position shots. Caitlin McMahon finished the day with four goals, a team-high six draw controls, two ground balls and one assist.

 "Caitlin (McMahon) as a freshman really played great," said McCord. "She really stepped up and succeeded in our draw control spot since Jess (Worcester) wasn't able to play."

Ventimiglia kicked off Senior Day with a bang, scoring two goals in the first three minutes. Before what became an eventual 3-0 advantage on a goal by Sally Holbert, the Bears found the back of the net at the 21:39 mark on a free-position shot.

Mercer scored twice more in the opening half but a pair of JU scoring runs, which included two more goals from Ventimiglia, allowed the team to enter halftime with an 11-3 edge.

Just 25 seconds into the second half, senior Brittney Orashen netted a goal to jumpstart a 6-0 run that spanned 10 minutes. Mercer attempted to halt the Jacksonville scoring spree, but Kate Leone's solo goal only briefly slowed the Dolphins' tempo. JU scored four additional goals in the remaining 14 minutes.

Other senior contributors: Orashen, Tori Seitz and Asia Moore.

Orashen posted two goals in the outing with five ground balls, two draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers while Tori Seitz assisted on three goals with four ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Asia Moore appeared in the net for 30 minutes with three saves.

The Dolphins hit the road for an Atlantic Sun game at Kennesaw State on April 18 at 1:00 p.m.