LOUISVILLE – The Catamounts opened the 2017 season with a 19-8 non-conference loss at Louisville on Saturday afternoon in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Vermont falls to 0-1 to start the year while Louisville improves to 1-0.
 
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Jenna Janes recorded her second-career hat trick for the Catamounts. Alison Bolt matched Janes with three points after netting a pair of goals and dished out an assist. Brynne Yarranton added two goals for UVM while Meredith Moore notched two assists. Maddy Kuras made 20 saves in net for the green and gold.
 
Louisville's McKayla Conti led all scorers with six goals. Meghan Siverson followed with five goals and won nine draw controls. Ashley Lynch contributed four points for the Cardinals with three assists and one goal. Heidi Smith and Hannah Koloski each posted a hat trick. Goalie Brittany Read stopped six shots to pick up her first win of the season.
 
After the Cardinals scored two goals in the opening six and a half minutes, the Catamounts came roaring back with four unanswered goals and took a 4-2 lead. Janes got UVM on the scoreboard with a free position goal at the 26:54 mark. Less than a minute later, Janes notched the equalizer with her second goal of the afternoon. With 22 minutes left in the half, Kuras preserved the tie with a save and the Cats marched down the field to take their first lead of the day from the stick of Yarranton. The senior tallied her first goal of the season after Moore set up the opportunity with an assist. Janes doubled UVM's lead to 4-2 with 19:44 remaining in the period.
 
The Cardinals mounted a comeback of their own by scoring six unanswered goals to close out the first half. Conti tied the game at 4-4 with two goals in a 47-second span to match Janes with a first-half hat trick. Siverson kept the momentum going for Louisville with three goals and Elise Koehl capped off the scoring attack with her first goal of the year at the 2:58 mark.
 
Louisville struck first to begin the second half, but Bolt provided a spark for the green and gold and trimmed the deficit down to 9-7 in a 58-second span. At the 26:48 mark, Bolt converted a free position shot and then assisted a goal by Becca Olsen only 20 seconds later. Bolt produced her second goal of the scoring spree with 25:46 left in the contest.
 
In the final 10:22 of the game, the Cardinals netted the final eight goals of the non-conference matchup for the final margin of victory.
 
Vermont travels to Ohio State on Monday (Feb. 6) in part two of a three-game road trip to start the season. The opening draw is set for 7 p.m. Fans can watch the game by subscribing to BuckeyeVision.com.
 
The Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the 2017 women's lacrosse season.