via JU press release, by Nieja Jordan

BOX SCORE

Dolphins Battle, but Fall To Lehigh

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville women’s lacrosse (0-2) fell to Lehigh (1-1) in a close-knit game Friday afternoon, 8-to-7, in the Rock Lacrosse Stadium.

STAT LEADERS 

GOALS – Ainsley Scruggs (2), Mackenzie Boyle (2) Jenna Peed (1) Allyx Berry (1) Olivia Johnson (1) 

GROUND BALLS – Maddy Orefice (4) Hailey Blachly (3) 

DRAW CONTROLS – Kaila Stasulli (4) 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Sophomore attacker Ainsley Scruggs showcased her prowess in the fourth quarter, finding the back of the net twice late in the game and assisting in a third goal by Olivia Johnson, giving JU a solid opportunity to secure victory. Ultimately, Lehigh managed to hold off the Dolphins long enough before the final horn. 

The game began with an exciting and high-scoring first quarter, as the Dolphins quickly seized momentum with a nifty shot and goal by Mackenzie Boyle at 11:16, taking an early lead. A streaking Jenna Peed capitalized on the first goal by Boyle, scoring a second and contributing to the Dolphins’ 2-1 lead. Boyle extended the lead to 3-1 before the end of the first quarter, controlling the opening 14 minutes. However, Lehigh managed to rewrite the score just before the quarter ended, trailing 3-2 going into the second period despite JU’s six forced turnovers. 

In the second quarter, the Dolphins saw numerous shots on goal, but the Lehigh keeper thwarted their efforts multiple times. With 6:09 remaining in the second quarter, Lehigh tied the game 3-3 before taking a 4-3 lead just before halftime. 

Lehigh extended their lead in the third quarter, pulling away to a 5-3 advantage with 12:17 remaining. However, the Dolphins’ offense responded, with Freshman Allyx Berry burying a goal to reduce the deficit to one point for the green and white. The third quarter would go on to favor the visiting team as they concluded with a second 2-to-1 run, leading 7-4. 

An emphatic fourth quarter saw Ainsley Scruggs ignite a surge, scoring back-to-back goals halfway through the period and cutting the deficit to one with 11:43 to play, 7-6. Despite Lehigh gaining an 8-6 lead, the Dolphins persisted, narrowing the gap to 7-8 with an assist and goal from Scruggs to Johnson. However, with just 29 seconds remaining on the clock, the Dolphins ran out of time before completing their comeback. 

COACHES COMMENTS 

“I felt we made a lot of progress from game one,” said Head Coach Tara Singleton. “We were able to be more aggressive on defense and disciplined on offense. I’m happy to see improvement from the team. We identified what was working and capitalized on that. However, we can’t afford to allow big runs to happen as we move forward.” 

ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• Jacksonville had two multi-goal scorers – Ainsley Scruggs, Makenzie Boyle 
• Ainsley Scruggs finished with three points and five shots on goal 
•  Jacksonville caused a total 11 turnovers 
• Dolphins won the draw control match 10-to-7 

UP NEXT 

Dolphins have a quick turnaround and will host #2 Boston college Sunday, February 18. The game is set to begin at 11 a.m. and will be streamed live on the Dolphin website.