FSC: #4 Women’s Lacrosse Takes Down #2 Adelphi Behind Strong Second Half
LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 4 Florida Southern College women’s lacrosse team took down No. 2 Adelphi by a final score of 15-10 in the team’s home opener on Friday night at Berend Field.
The Moccasins (3-0) were dominant in the second half as the team scored eight goals and allowed just one to defeat the Panthers (0-2).
“We had a slow start and once we finally started implementing our game plan, we settled in and we were able to finish the game strong,” Head Coach Kara Reber said.
Rylie Rittberg earned her first career win after coming on to start the second half, making four saves across the final two quarters to keep the visitors scoreless until the game’s final minute.
“Riley had a monster save on that free position that completely fired the team up,” Reber added. “She did an excellent job stepping up for us in the second half.”
Giana Murphy had another great outing, posting five goals to set a new career high mark, as she leads the Moccasins with 11 goals to start the season.
The reigning Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week Gina Verrone was sharp again, winning seven draw controls with a ground ball and a caused turnover on the evening. Sophomore Ellie Griffin was a notable force defensively as well, causing a pair of turnovers to go along with three ground balls and three draw controls.
Lizzy Lynch was a catalyst in the first half, scoring three goals in the span of three minutes to help the Mocs come back from an early deficit. She would finish the day with five goals on five shots.
The Moccasins found themselves in an early hole, falling behind 4-1 to start the game, with Murphy scoring the lone first-quarter goal.
Abby McFerren cut the deficit with a tally in the second quarter to make it 4-2, but the Panthers responded quickly to go ahead 6-2, pitting the Moccasins in their largest deficit of the season at the time.
Lynch scored her first set of goals less than a minute apart to once again trim the Adelphi lead to just two, but the Panthers responded with a pair of strikes moments later to reclaim their four-goal lead, 8-4, with just over six minutes to play.
Lynch completed her hat trick quickly thereafter, and Jackie Stoller found the back of the net on the ensuing draw control to make it an 8-6 game in the waning minutes of the second quarter. The teams traded goals as Murphy scored with 16 seconds left in the half to make it 9-7 headed into the break.
After McKenzie Gaghan started the game in net, Rittberg took the field to begin the second half. Stoller scored her second goal of the day in the opening minute of the quarter before Rittberg faced her first shot of the game, making a crucial save to give the Moccasins momentum.
Sammy Gorrasi scored on the ensuing possession to tie the game for the first time with just over nine minutes to play in the third, the score even at nine.
The Mocs continued their scoring streak as Murphy converted on a feed from McFerren to take the first lead of the game just minutes later.
The third quarter would end with the Mocs ahead 10-9, as the final seven minutes of the frame saw both defenses hold strong.
Murphy tallied her tenth goal of the year early in the fourth quarter after another big Rittberg stop to open the frame. Lynch would grow the lead to three, as she scored on a free position shot to make it 12-9 with 11 and a half minutes to play.
The Mocs poured it on with consecutive goals from Gorrasi, Lynch, and Murphy as the team jumped out to a 15-9 lead with just over three minutes to play. After falling behind by four goals twice in the first half, the Mocs closed the game on a nine-goal scoring streak before giving up a goal in the game’s final minute.
Florida Southern’s 15-10 victory marked their third consecutive victory over a ranked opponent as they continue their strong start to the season. The team is back in action on March 4, when they travel to Cleveland, Tenn. to take on the Lee University Flames at 2:00 p.m.
Scoring Summary
| 1st Period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:44 |  | AU – Kristina Schweitzer | 1 | 0 |
| 10:07 | | AU – Kerrin Heuser | 2 | 0 |
| 09:27 |  | FSC – Giana Murphy Assisted by Hailey Daleo | 2 | 1 |
| 04:27 | | AU – Kerrin Heuser | 3 | 1 |
| 03:16 | | AU – Danielle Marino | 4 | 1 |
| 2nd Period | ||||
| 13:52 | | FSC – Abby McFerren | 4 | 2 |
| 11:52 | | AU – Izzy Grant Assisted by Alexandra Leggio | 5 | 2 |
| 09:35 | | AU – Kristina Kallansrude | 6 | 2 |
| 08:37 | | FSC – Lizzy Lynch Assisted by Giana Murphy | 6 | 3 |
| 07:45 | | FSC – Lizzy Lynch | 6 | 4 |
| 06:39 | | AU – Rita Sefransky | 7 | 4 |
| 06:17 | | AU – Danielle Marino Assisted by Giovanna Zapparrata | 8 | 4 |
| 05:33 | | FSC – Lizzy Lynch Assisted by Giana Murphy | 8 | 5 |
| 04:43 | | FSC – Jackie Stoller | 8 | 6 |
| 03:50 | | AU – Kristina Kallansrude Assisted by Alison Turner | 9 | 6 |
| 00:16 | | FSC – Giana Murphy Assisted by Jackie Stoller | 9 | 7 |
| 3rd Period | ||||
| 14:06 | | FSC – Jackie Stoller Assisted by Hannah Hale | 9 | 8 |
| 09:08 | | FSC – Sammy Gorrasi Assisted by Jackie Stoller | 9 | 9 |
| 07:21 | | FSC – Giana Murphy Assisted by Abby McFerren | 9 | 10 |
| 4th Period | ||||
| 13:37 | | FSC – Giana Murphy | 9 | 11 |
| 11:30 | | FSC – Lizzy Lynch | 9 | 12 |
| 08:52 | | FSC – Sammy Gorrasi Assisted by Ellie Griffin | 9 | 13 |
| 06:26 | | FSC – Lizzy Lynch Assisted by Ellie Griffin | 9 | 14 |
| 03:07 | | FSC – Giana Murphy | 9 | 15 |
| 00:32 | | AU – Alison Turner | 10 | 15 |