Ave Maria Rolls in Neutral Site Battle
CLEARWATER, Fla.- The Ave Maria University lacrosse team got back in the win column on Sunday, easily winning a neutral site game against Gordon College from Massachusetts. The Gyrenes scored the game’s first five goals, and never trailed en route to their second win, 17-5, of the 2023 season. The matchup was played at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater, AMU’s first of two games there this season.
Ave Maria started fast in their first game back in the Sunshine State, jumping out to a 5-0 lead after one quarter of play. AMU’s first four goals came from four different players – Abbey Seiler, Monrae Prentice, Orianna Eldridge, and Allison Fifield. Fifield, who was playing her first game of the lacrosse season after concluding her time on the basketball court, scored again in the final two minutes of the quarter to account for AMU’s fifth goal.
Gordon was able to cut in Ave Maria’s lead in the second quarter, outscoring Ave Maria 4-3. Gordon scored back-to-back goals to start the quarter, trimming the Gyrene lead to 5-2 with 8:11 remaining in the first half. Ave Maria responded with back-to-back goals of their own, as Seiler and Fifield both found the back of the net to push the lead back to five, 7-2. Gordon scored twice in the final two minutes of the half, but Eldridge added her second goal in the closing seconds of the frame to give AMU an 8-4 lead.
Riding the momentum of Eldridge’s late goal in the first half, the Gyrenes were completely dominant in the second half. Ave Maria scored nine consecutive goals – four in the third quarter and five more in the fourth – to enact the running clock and put away the visitors from Massachusetts. Hannah Shaffrey scored her first goal of the match in the third quarter, while Eldridge, Seiler, and Fifield all added another tally.
The scoring continued in the fourth quarter, with Eldridge, Seiler, Shaffrey, and Prentice all scoring. Claire Ichniowski was the final Gyrene to score, concluding Ave Maria’s half of the scoring with just over four minutes to play. Gordon scored the final goal of the match with 117 seconds remaining, accounting for the 17-5 final score.
Eldridge, Seiler, and Fifield led Ave Maria’s scoring in the win, with all three players finding the back of the net four times. Shaffrey and Prentice both scored twice, while Shaffrey added four assists. Fifield and Sophie Paige also added multiple assists. Kylie Tittinger was Ave Maria’s defensive leader with four caused turnovers and three ground balls, while Hannah McConologue and Emily Durr split duties in goal.
Now holding a 2-2 record, the Gyrenes get ready for a major challenge at home. Ave Maria will host the nation’s number one team, the Ravens of Benedictine University from Kansas. It will be the second-ever meeting between the schools, with Benedictine winning 22-10 in Kansas almost five years ago. Opening draw for Ave Maria’s first home game against an NAIA school this season is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Gyrene Field.
