No. 16 LHU Lacrosse tops Mercyhurst behind fourth-quarter surge
LOCK HAVEN– Despite cooler temperatures and heavy winds, the Bald Eagles red-hot play continued as the nationally-ranked Lock Haven lacrosse team completed the season sweep of Mercyhurst (2-9, 1-6 PSAC West) with a 15-13 victory this afternoon on Charlotte Smith Field.
The 16th-ranked Bald Eagles used a fourth-quarter surge to earn the important divisional win.
With the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division win in hand, Lock Haven improved to 11-1 overall and 6-1 in PSAC West action. The win marked Lock Haven’s fourth straight and the Bald Eagles moved to an impressive 5-1 at home.
The 11 wins are the most since The Haven won 13 in 2018. Lock Haven finished the 2018 season at 13-6 and in the PSAC semifinals.
Today’s game marked Lock Haven’s first this season as a nationally-ranked team. Earlier this week, the Bald Eagles were tabbed No. 16 in the weekly USA Lacrosse Magazine top-20 rankings. The Haven also received votes this week in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association (IWLCA) Division II national poll.
Lock Haven clung to a one-goal lead at halftime, 5-4, and the two teams were knotted at 8-8 after three quarters. The Bald Eagles exploded for seven goals in the fourth to secure the PSAC West win.
Leading the way for Lock Haven was Josey Shaffer (Westminster, Md./Manchester Valley) and Makayla Kelly (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) who each scored four goals in the win. Gabby Gunnip (Elbridge, N.Y./Jordan Elbridge) netted three goals, while Abby Katrinak (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) and Nadia Baskot (Damascus, Md./Damascus) both scored twice.
Katrinak added three assists to complete a five-point game. With their strong offensive outings, both Shaffer and Gunnip surpassed the 100-point mark for their career.
Dana Mirigliano (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) finished with seven saves, each as important as the next in the thrilling conference clash.
Mackenna Brown (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) led the defense with four caused turnovers and five ground balls.
Up Next for Lock Haven:
The Bald Eagles will return to action on Wednesday, April 17 at 4 p.m. on the road at Slippery Rock.
