via ERAU press release/website

BOX SCORE

Women’s Lacrosse Rallies for 14-13 Upset of No. 15 Wingate

WINGATE, N.C. – The 15th-ranked Embry-Riddle women’s lacrosse team erased a seven-goal deficit to topple No. 11 Wingate 14-13 at the Bulldogs’ Irwin Belk Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles are now 2-0 on the young season, while the Bulldogs drop to 2-1 on the year.
 
“Teamwork and smart play won this game!” ERAU Head Coach Caitlin Kenahan commented following the game. “I couldn’t be prouder of my girls for coming together, never giving up on each other, and using their individual talents to produce a team W!!!”
 
A trio of freshmen led the way for the Blue and Gold as Elianna Enners and Caitlin Gavin combined for 11 points and 13 draw controls, while Ella Rae Cox had six saves in her Embry-Riddle debut. Enners had five goals, while Samantha Reich finished with four scores and Alexa Zeruto added two goals. Enners also won eight draws, picked up three ground balls and dished out two assists, while Gavin won five draws and five ground balls while handing out two assists.
 
Both teams traded goals to start an even first quarter. The Eagles went ahead 3-2, but the Bulldogs scored two in a row to take over the lead, 4-3. Wingate won the next draw, but Kaitlyn Henry caused a turnover and the Eagles got the ball down the field to Zeruto who fed Reich who tied the game at 4-4 with her third goal of the year. The Eagles played the Bulldogs even until the last three minutes of the quarter when Wingate scored twice to end the period with a 6-4 advantage.
 
Defense highlighted the start of the second period which was scoreless for the first nine minutes. Embry-Riddle won four of the five draws in the quarter, but it was the Bulldogs who had the scoring advantage as they netted three goals to take a 9-5 lead into the halftime break.
 
The first three scores of the third went to the Bulldogs who enjoyed their largest lead of the game (12-5) with 11:37 left in the frame. Less than a minute later, Gavin and Enners combined for the Eagles’ sixth goal of the afternoon. That score was the first of four unanswered for the Eagles who narrowed the gap to three (12-9) to close out the period.
 
After a scoreless four-minute stretch to start the fourth, the Eagles’ offense got rolling again scoring four more goals in a row to take over the lead at 13-12 with 6:05 left to play. At the 2:42 mark, the Bulldogs got the tying goal, prompting Kenahan to call a timeout. Her strategy worked as Reich won the draw and 12 seconds later found Zeruto who scored the game-winner.
 
The Bulldogs had one more look at the cage with 43 seconds left to play, but Cox, who entered the game at halftime, came up with one of her six saves on the day to secure the Eagle win
 
The Eagles will stay in North Carolina for a Tuesday match-up against No. 25 Mount Olive.