HICKORY, N.C.-- The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Lacrosse team defeated Coker 23-2 on Wednesday afternoon, solidifying their spot as one of the top teams in the SAC.
A balanced scoring effort saw 15 Bears net a goal, led by hat tricks from
Addie Hale,
Kirra Olson, and
Abbey Walker.
Lenoir-Rhyne will be the #2 seed in the SAC tournament, earning them a bye in the first round a direct trip to the semi-finals. That game will take place next week Wednesday against the winner of Anderson and Tusculum, who play on Saturday.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 23, Coker 2
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (10-6, 9-1 SAC), Coker (6-10, 3-7 SAC)
Location: Hickory, N.C. | Moretz Stadium
STORY OF THE GAME:
- The Bears set the tone by scoring three goals in the first three minutes.
- After a Coker goal, Savannah Stallings scored to ignite an 8-0 run from the home side.
- Abbey Walker scored late and Lenoir-Rhyne went into the break leading 12-2.
- The Lenoir-Rhyne defense locked in during the second half, not allowing a Coker goal.
- 10 different Bears scored their 11 second half goals. Kirra Olson netted two in a row during the third quarter.
- Senior Caitlyn Race scored the first goal of her career to cap off the win.
STATS OF THE GAME:
- Lenoir-Rhyne out-shot Coker 50-9 and 35-5 in shots-on-goal.
- The Bears forced 30 Cobra turnovers, the second most for an LR opponent all year.
- Coker was just 9-22 on clears, compared to 11-13 for Lenoir-Rhyne.
- Keegan Hudspeth led the team with seven draw controls while Jessica Mikesell caused four turnovers and picked up six ground balls.
- Sally Friesen made two saves in the win.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Lenoir-Rhyne is 10-1 all-time against Coker and hasn't lost since 2017.
- Lenoir-Rhyne has now caused 191 turnovers on the season, a new program record.
- The Bears have 119 assists on the year, just six away from the school record.
- This is Lenoir-Rhyne's highest SAC seed since 2019.
NEXT UP: Lenoir-Rhyne will wait a week until their next game, the South Atlantic Conference semi-final next Wednesday. Thanks to being the #2 seed, Lenoir-Rhyne will host the game at Helen & Moretz Stadium. More information about that game will come following the conclusion of Anderson and Tusculum's quarterfinal on Saturday.
