The Gannon University women’s lacrosse team began its season 2-2 after defeating Lee University and Wheeling Jesuit University while losing to Shippensburg and Young Harris University.
The games against Lee and Young Harris took place in Cleveland, Tenn., and Young Harris, Ga., respectively, on March 3 and March 6 while the games against Wheeling Jesuit and Shippensburg were played Thursday and Saturday, respectively, at McConnell Family Stadium.
The Knights beat Lee, 16-12, despite Lee already being four games into its season.
Rachel Tufts and Erin Rotondo got the Knights off to an early start, both pocketing a pair of goals to take a 4-0 lead.
The Knights held a 7-2 edge with 13 minutes, 18 seconds left to play, but then Lee went on a 6-0 run over eight minutes.
This lead was short-lived for Lee as Maura McCabe and Courtney Young bumped the Knights’ lead up to 10-8 with quick goals at the start of the second half.
Gannon would go on to score six more goals while Lee only managed four before the end of the match.
Rotondo finished with seven goals while Tufts totaled three and Caroline Mauck added two.
The Knights met a tough opponent in their next match down South, as Young Harris prevailed 18-5.
The Mountain Lions built a 6-0 lead midway through the first half and led 8-3 at halftime before taking firm control in the second half.
Tufts and Rotondo each scored twice for Gannon and Jessica Hudak tallied once.
The Knights had to battle hard to win their first home game of the season against Wheeling Jesuit, 16-15.
The team built a four-goal lead and then watched the visitors climb within one before Kayla Shields scored what proved to be the deciding goal with 80 seconds remaining.
Wheeling Jesuit was first on the board, but Rotondo and Mauck struck back with two goals.
Those two goals led to a 5-1 run for the Knights with Hudak, Shields and Tufts each adding a goal.
The Knights would maintain the lead the rest of the way, although the Cardinals made it close down the stretch.
Shields and Rotondo each scored four goals for Gannon while Mauck and Tufts each netted three and Hudak added two.
The Knights lost their first PSAC match of the season against Shippensburg, 18-13.
Shippensburg’s commanding early presence aided in its victory, claiming a 6-0 lead at the 22:02 mark.
Rotondo got the scoring going for the Knights as she netted a goal at 18:32, and Tufts and Shields would follow to make it 7-3.
The Knights were able to score two more goals before the end of the half, but the Raiders scored three and led 10-5 at intermission.
Shippensburg came out strong again in the second half, scoring two goals in the first minute.
Shields and Alexa Bower scored just as fast for Gannon, making the score 12-6.
The Knights scored four of the last five goals, but it wasn’t enough.
Tufts finished with five goals while Rotondo and Shields each scored three times and Bower added two goals.
Following Tuesday’s game with Lake Erie, the Knights will return to action Saturday when Lock Haven visits McConnell Family Stadium for a 1 p.m. PSAC game.
KEEFER GREGOIRE
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