SALISBURY, N.C.-- The Lenoir-Rhyne women's lacrosse team earned a crucial late-season victory at Catawba on Wednesday night. The Bears move past Catawba in the league standings with the win and control their own destiny in locking up the No. 4 seed and a home game in the SAC Tournament next week.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 16, Lincoln Memorial 13
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (6-9, 4-4 SAC), Catawba (8-7, 4-4 SAC)
Location: Salisbury, N.C. | Shuford Stadium
STATS OF THE GAME
- Jolan Morey got the Bears started with the first goal of the game just over three minutes into the contest.
- After Catawba netted the equalizer, LR would finish the first quarter on a 3-0 scoring run. Chloe Christensen went back-to-back with goals and Morey added her second as the Bears took a 4-1 lead.
- LR was held scoreless in the second quarter but only allowed Catawba to get one goal closer as the Bears went into the break with a 4-2 lead.
- Ellie Campbell and Suzy Smith pushed the LR lead to 6-2 in the early stages of the third quarter and Alexa Burghardt was credited with the helper on Smith's score.
- Morey completed the hat trick with her 26th goal of the season and extended the Bears scoring spurt to 3-0.
- Catawba scored with nine seconds left in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 7-3 but Smith had the answer to push LR's lead back to five.
- The Indians scored two in a row to make it 8-5 but Campbell sealed the victory with a goal with 8:44 to play.
- Catawba would score once but never get any closer than three in the final stretch.
- Isabelle Dunnam and Cassie Lafler each finished with four caused turnovers for LR and Teanna Sieben made eight saves in the win.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- LR moves to 10-1 all-time against Catawba and is 6-0 all-time at Shuford Stadium.
- The Bears now sit in a tie for fourth place in the SAC but hold the tiebreaker over Lincoln Memorial thanks to Saturdays victory over the Railsplitters.
- A win over Mars Hill on Saturday secures the No. 4 seed in the SAC Tournament. Each of the top four seeds hosts a SAC Quarterfinal game on Tuesday night.
- Smith's two goals give her 82 on her career which ranks 10th in program history.
- Dunnam already owns the single-season record for caused turnovers and her four more tonight give her 42 on the year.
UP NEXT: The Bears will finish up the regular season on Saturday with a road trip to Mars Hill.