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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Kennesaw State women's lacrosse earned a 13-10 road victory over Wofford on Sunday afternoon, using a balanced offensive attack and key defensive stops down the stretch to secure its highest-scoring game of the season. The Owls had seven different scorers on the day, and the three-goal margin proved to be the largest lead by either team in the tightly contested matchup.
The win marks KSU's second straight victory in the series after earning a 16-14 decision last season.
Key Players: Caleigh Shore recorded a career-high three goals to pace the offense. Marleigh Belinfanti added two goals, including a free-position, woman-up score. Lexi Tinker tallied a hat trick and an assist, while Lavona Watkins contributed a goal and her first career assist. Jordyn Olivo found the back of the net for the first time this season, and Cohen Ridenour delivered the go-ahead free-position goal in the fourth quarter. In goal, Cybella made critical saves down the stretch to preserve the advantage, finishing with 13 saves to earn the win.
The Rundown:
Olivo opened the scoring for the Owls in the first quarter, netting her first goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1.
In the second quarter, Watkins converted a free-position attempt to make it 4-2. Shore followed with a goal, Tinker scooped up a ground ball and took it coast-to-coast for a score, and then followed that two minutes later when she struck again off an assist from Natalie Charyak to make it 6-5 heading into halftime.
The third quarter continued the back-and-forth battle. Belinfanti started the scoring with a pair of goals to keep the Owls within a score. Just over a minute later, Tinker completed her woman-up hat trick to tie the game and set the stage for a decisive final period.
KSU did not take its first lead until the fourth quarter. Ridenour capitalized on a free-position opportunity to give the Owls a 9-8 advantage. One minute later, Shore buried her third goal of the game to extend the lead to 10-8. With five minutes remaining, Belinfanti struck again, this time off an assist from Tinker, as KSU pushed the margin to 13-10. Neither team would score again, with the three-goal cushion standing as the largest lead of the contest.
Postgame Quote:
"I thought the team had a great team win. I was impressed that we had seven different scorers offensively. Defensively I was very impressed with our man-down defense at the end of the game and Cybella in goal, she made critical saves down the stretch."
Notes:
Next Time Out: The Owls return to action Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m., as they will face Presbyterian at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
