The Hope College women's lacrosse team opened defense of its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular-season title on Saturday, unleashing a first-half offensive explosion to defeat Adrian College, 17-7, at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.

The 17 goals for the Flying Dutch matched a season-high, equaling a feat done twice previously: March 18 vs. Nazareth University (New York) in Panama City Beach, Florida, and again on March 29 at DePauw (Indiana) University. 

Hope (5-4) handed the Bulldogs just their third loss in 11 games this season but their second in two MIAA games.

The Flying Dutch, who have won the past two MIAA championships, recorded their 18^th consecutive MIAA regular-season victory dating back to April 2022.

Adrian, which entered the contest as the MIAA's top-scoring team at 15.3 goals per game, kept the game close early, trailing only 5-4 late in the first quarter. Hope, however struck for a pair of quick goals just 14 seconds apart in the final minute of the quarter to ignite an avalanche of eight consecutive goals that broke the game open.

First, junior midfielder Caleigh Randall (Lansing, Michigan / DeWitt HS) scored off a feed from junior midfielder Sydney LaPrairie (Rochester, Michigan / Stoney Creek). Then, junior midfielder Stella Bottum (Alto, Michigan/Caledonia) scored an unassisted goal to give Hope a 7-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Flying Dutch reeled off six more goals while keeping the high-powered Adrian attack scoreless.

Junior attacker Julia Brown (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) scored three of those goals, two of them with Hope a player up, and assisted on another tally by senior attacker Juli Kirkpatrick (Granger, Indiana / Mishawaka Penn), and the Flying Dutch went into the halftime break with a 13-4 lead.

"We just found our rhythm, and we knew what we had to do in terms of maintaining momentum, and continuing that from the end of the first quarter,"  said assistant coach Rich Pruszynski, who led the Flying Dutch in head coach Keagan Pieri's absence. Pieri missed the game after giving birth to her first child earlier in the week.

The Bulldogs pulled no closer than eight goals in the second half. Hope led by 10 goals on several occasions.

Nine different players scored in the game for Hope, led by Julia Brown with her fourth five-goal game of the season plus two assists for a seven-point day.

"It was a good effort, through and through," Pruszynski said. "Everyone got a lot of playing time today. We executed the various elements of what we wanted on offense and defense early in the game. I was just really proud of everybody's effort."

Senior attacker Kerrigan Brown (DeWitt, Michigan/DeWitt) added two goals and three assists for Hope, while also scooping up four ground balls. Randall, freshman attacker Elliana Hillard (DeWitt, Michigan/DeWitt) and junior midfielder Stella Bottum (Alto, Michigan/Caledonia) also scored twice. 

Freshman midfielder Brynn Collins (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan/Grosse Pointe University Liggett) and freshman attacker Kayla Reis (Westfield, Indiana/Westfield) scored their first career goals, and freshman attacker Madison Pyle (Rockford, Michigan/Rockford) also scored. LaPrairie had two assists.

Abby Malone led Adrian with three goals.

Hope outshot Adrian 30-19 for the contest and won 21 draw controls to seven for the Bulldogs.

The Flying Dutch return to action Tuesday, April 8, at 5 p.m. for an MIAA contest against Kalamazoo College at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.