#2 Mocs Explode in Third Quarter to Down #12 UIndy 22-14
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The No. 2 Florida Southern College women’s lacrosse team used a 10-goal third quarter to coast past No. 12 University of Indianapolis to post their second consecutive victory over a ranked opponent, winning 22-14.
The Moccasins (2-0) took control of the game coming out of halftime on Friday afternoon, scoring seven consecutive goals in the third quarter to overtake the Greyhounds (0-1) in the neutral site contest.
Graduate student Jackie Stoller continued to add to her legacy as a Moc, tallying nine total points (5 G, 4 A), matching her career-high, which she set in the first game of the season, a 23-16 victory over No. 9 Flagler on Wednesday night.
Fellow graduate student Madison Tare paced the Mocs with six goals on the afternoon, three of which came in the third quarter.
McKenzie Gaghan and Rylie Rittberg split time in the cage, with the unit combining for seven saves in the win.
The teams played very evenly in the first half, with the squads answering each other’s early strikes– both the Greyhounds and Moccasins held momentary leads as the first quarter ended deadlocked at four. Freshman Kolby Cohen tallied her first career goal in the initial frame to keep the game close early.
The Mocs opened the second quarter blazing hot, as Abby McFerren scored twice to highlight a three-goal run that gave the Mocs a 7-4 advantage for the time being. UIndy answered though, with a pair of strikes to bring the game back within one.
The field began to tilt back in the Mocs favor, for good this time, as Florida Southern used a strong finish to the half with Cohen’s second goal and a Tare tally to put the Mocs up by two headed into the break, leading 9-7.
Florida Southern’s dominant third quarter featured three goals each from Stoller and Tare, while junior Hannah Hale scored her first two goals of the year. Freshman Audrey Cannelli joined the scoring frenzy as well, notching her first career goal in the frame. Defensively, the Mocs allowed just three total shot attempts in the quarter, two of which hit the back of the net.
Heading into the final stanza, the Mocs used their ten-goal cushion to breeze to victory, with goals from Elise Alders, Hale, and Emma Dudley adding insurance against the typically potent UIndy offense. A pair of saves from Rittberg kept the Greyhounds at bay despite a threatening four-goal run, and Florida Southern earned a 22-14 victory, winning their second straight in as many contests away from home.
The Moccasins, meanwhile, will stay in Huntsville as they take on the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers (2-1) on Sunday afternoon. The Chargers defeated North Greenville 20-1 last Sunday and are currently battling fellow SSC opponent Saint Leo University at the time of publication.
