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JU Women: Record-Laden Semifinal Fuels 24-8 Dolphins’ Victory!

  via JU press release   BOX SCORE   CONWAY, S.C. – Three players reached the 100-career point milestone en route to a new single-game points program record as the #1 seed Jacksonville University women’s lacrosse team dispatched #4 Kennesaw State in the ASUN Conference Tournament semifinal round, 24-8, Thursday afternoon at Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina. The reigning ASUN regular season champions needed less than 10 minutes to take command of the game as senior captain Lillie Miller and sophomore Jenny Kinsey each recorded a hat trick in 8:41 to double up the Owls, 6-3, early on. It took just 14 seconds for two-time All-ASUN First Team selection Miller to get the Dolphins on the board before she went on to a career-high nine-point performance behind seven goals and two assists. Stunningly, Kinsey recorded both her 100th career point and set the Dolphins’ single-game points record with her 10th point on the day – a goal with 20:26 left in the game. “We had two players step up today and be stars for the game. Jenny and Lillie each outplayed a player of the year and both showed a level of efficiency that’s scary,” commented Associate Head Coach Paul McCord. “We had aa lot of efficiency on attack; we shot the ball well. We really did a nice job of moving the ball.” While Miller and Kinsey had impressive days, two others – sophomore Alyssa Arnold and junior McKenna Rushford – also made their way into the record books. Arnold posted her 100th career point with 9:11 showing in the first half, while Rushford tallied her century mark at 6:11 before the final horn. The teams traded goals in the opening minutes and were tied at 3 with 25:55 on the clock. The Dolphins found an extra gear and raced out to a 16-0 run spanning the majority of the first half and into the second to hold the Owls scoreless for a total of 31:08. One final four-goal run was all Kennesaw State had left in the tank late in the second half, and the Dolphins returned fire with three-straight tallies – two from Miller (6:11, 3:47) and one from senior captain Jody Julmice (0:17) – to close out the game for a 24-8 win. The Dolphins held the advantage in every statistical category, including shots (36-22), ground balls (15-11) and draw controls (20-13). With a 2-for-3 performance at the eight-meter line from Kinsey, the Dolphins also finished 3-for-5 on free-positions, while the Owls managed to convert just one of their five chances. Rushford (7) and sophomore Lauren Phillips (5) combined for 12 of JU’s 23 draw controls, while sophomore Casey Sullivanfinished the day with a career-high five caused turnovers and three ground balls to help lead the Dolphins’ defense. In the cage, freshman Dayna Martinetto – the 2019 ASUN Freshman of the Year and Inside Lacrosse Rookie of the Year Watch List nominee – recorded all seven saves after splitting time in the crease with redshirt-freshman Sharn Muffett. Added McCord, “Defensively, we played well after a slow start. Our reserves had a hard time with KSU’s starters, but we were able to rest our starting group a lot and prepare them for the next game.” Now 15-3 overall, the Dolphins face the winner of the #2 Coastal Carolina and #3 Liberty in the ASUN Tournament Championship on Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m.  

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