NAIA Women: AMU Comeback Attempts Falls Short
AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University lacrosse team put a scare into a top ten team in the nation on Saturday afternoon, but fell 15-10 to the visiting Life University Running Eagles at Gyrene Field. After trailing by nine goals midway through the third quarter, the Gyrenes crept back to within four in the fourth before eventually running out of time. Before the game, AMU honored the three members of its senior class of 2022.
Life took control of the game, outshooting the Gyrenes 12-1 in the first quarter to build a 6-1 lead, which included five consecutive goals after AMU tied the game at one six minutes in. The Running Eagles held Ave Maria to just three goals in the first half – one each from Orianna Eldridge, Emma Baughman, and Emma Davis. The second quarter saw just five total goals scored, giving Life a 9-3 lead entering the halftime break.
Ave Maria trailed 12-3 with 8:03 to play in the third quarter, following three consecutive goals from the Running Eagles to start the half. From there, the Gyrenes scored six of the next seven goals, cutting the Life lead down to 13-9 with 9:23 remaining in the game. Davis scored three times during this stretch, and Eldridge scored twice. Life stabilized in the final nine minutes, holding AMU to just one goal to stymie the comeback attempt.
Emma Davis led the Gyrenes with five goals and one assist, making some AMU history in the process. Her six points against Life gave her 56 points for the season, breaking the school record of 55 set by Mackenzie Tourville during her All-American season of 2016. Davis also moved one away from Tourville’s single-season goals record, set during that same 2016 season.
Davis was joined in the hat trick column by Eldridge, who found the back of the net three times. Eldridge was also Ave Maria’s defensive leader with four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Abigail Seiler extended her school record with her third consecutive game with ten draw controls, and Kaylee Wesoloski pulled down 15 saves to keep Ave Maria within striking distance of Life.
The Gyrenes conclude the regular season Tuesday evening, as Ave Maria plays Keiser for the second time in 12 days. The teams first met April 1 in West Palm Beach, a 23-12 victory for the Seahawks. The regular season finale and Mid-South Conference contest is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Gyrene Field in Ave Maria.
