SPARTANBURG, S.C.- Converse came off the draw fast as the Valkyries dominated the point of attack, taking a 16-4 victory over Conference Carolinas foe Erskine on Monday afternoon.  Converse (4-3, 2-1 CC) won its fourth match in a row after dropping the first three matches of the season.  Erskine falls to 1-6 on the season and 1-3 in league play.

The team combined for 37 shots in the contest with 32 of those being on target.  For the first time this season, Converse had three record hat-tricks led by sophomore attacker Laura Starkes (Whitby, Ontario) with four goals.  Deena Kasmarik (Suwanee, Ga.) and Elizabeth Gabriele (Simpsonville, S.C.) netted three goals apiece.  Sydnie Hickey (Baltimore, Md.) tallied two goals, while Chelsea Worrell (Orlando, Fla.), Brittni Jones (Lees Summit, Mo.), Theresa Lasal (Fayetteville, Ga.), and Jessi Walters (Fort Mill, S.C.) posted one goal each.

Senior net-minder Alex Gurecki (Farmingdale, N.Y.) picked up the win in the cage recording nine saves and allowed four goals.

Off the draw, Converse went down and struck first just 1:09 into the match with an unassisted goal by Starkes.  Kasmarik tallied her first goal of the match just over a minute after the Flying Fleet tied it up.  Erskine would knot things up at 2-all at the 22:57 mark of the first half.

Laura Starkes and the Valkyries would take over the match scoring eight unanswered goals to take a 10-2 lead into the break.  Starkes would score her second and third goals of her hat-trick in just 18:19 of play.  Starkes would find the back of the net off a pass from Madison Butler (Tampa, Fla.) followed by scoring on a free position shot.

Sydnie Hickey would score her first of the match 47 seconds after Starkes recorded her hat-trick to give the Valkyries a 5-2 advantage.  Chelsea Worrell followed Hickey scoring an unassisted goal less than two minutes later.  

Converse wouldn't stop there with Elizabeth Gabrielle scoring less than a minute later off the dish from Starkes.  Kasmarik posted her second goal of the match to give the Valkyries an 8-2 advantage.  The Valkyries would continue the attack before the Flying Fleet could regroup getting a goal from Brittni Jones 37 seconds later.  Gabriele would make it 10-2 scoring her second goal of the match finding the back of the net from the assist of Aubrie Lauderdale (Greenville, S.C.).

Starkes would score once again coming out of halftime for her fourth of the match.  Erskine posted back-to-back goals to cut into the Valkyrie lead at 11-4 with 15:57 to play.  Jessi Walters would spark the final Valkyrie run of five unaswered goals to end the match.  Theresa Lasal, Hickey, Kasmarik and Gabriele would post goals to pad the Valkyries lead and take the match 16-4.

Sydnie Hickey led the team with five ground balls and tallied four draw controls.  Deena Kasmarik recorded five draw controls and three caused turnovers.  Chelsea Worrell added four draw controls and three ground balls.

The Valkyrie defense held Erskine to six draw controls to Converse's 17.  Converse wrecked havoc on the Flying Fleet as Erskine failed to clear the zone eight of the 15 attempts.

Converse heads on the road to face Georgetown (Ky.) and Asbury over the weekend, March 13-14.