SSC Women: #7 FSC Defeats #23 Saint Leo 19-13 – Both School Recaps
via the school press releases – photo by Chris Elwell
#7 Women’s Lacrosse Opens 2022 with Win Over #23 Saint Leo
LAKELAND, Fla. – No. 7 Florida Southern College women’s lacrosse opened up the 2022 campaign with a 19-13 win over No. 23 Saint Leo Wednesday night at Berend Field in the Barnett Athletic Complex.
Patricia Werker got the start in goal for the Moccasins (1-0) and played the full 60 minutes making nine saves to earn a win to open up her senior campaign.
Florida Southern saw six players scatter 19 shots into the back of the net Wednesday night in the home opener, where the Mocs finished with 24 shots-on-goal as a team. Brenna Smith finished the night as the team leader with five goals on nine total shots, six of those landing on frame.
Hailey Daleo and Lizzy Lynch both added four goals for FSC where Lynch led the team in assists with three for seven-game points. Daleo was second on the team with two assists for six points as three other players found the back of the net twice. Madison Tare, Ellie Griffin, and Abby McFerren each scored two goals in the win over the Lions (0-1) at home.
Florida Southern used a two-goal advantage in the first quarter and a four-goal advantage in the third to grab the win. The two teams were even in goals in the second and fourth quarters where the Mocs came out on top 19-13. Madison Tare opened up the 2022 scoring with a goal from Lizzy Lynch. Saint Leo quickly tied things back up but back-to-back goals for the Mocs, Hailey Daleo and Tare, pushed the Red and White out to a 3-1 lead. Florida Southern claimed a 6-2 lead before SLU closed the opening quarter with a pair of goals, 6-4 FSC.
Four goals would be scored in the second quarter with the Mocs sandwiching a pair of Saint Leo goals to make it an 8-6 halftime score. Brenna Smith would be credited with both goals in the period for FSC.
Florida Southern used seven goals in the third to distance itself from Saint Leo. Lynch capped off her night of scoring with three in the third while Daleo, Smith, and Ellie Griffin all joined in the scoring.
The Moccasins closed the night with four goals in the fourth opening up the period with a goal from Daleo. The Lions would answer just over a minute after to make it 16-10. Three straight goals would push the advantage for the Mocs to nine, 19-10, before Saint Leo closed the game with three straight of its own.
Up Next
No. 7 Florida Southern will look to its next game on Feb. 27 against no. 3 Queens of Charlotte at home, in the Barnett Athletic Complex at Berend Field.
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Palomba Sets School Record in Collegiate Debut; #23 Lions Falls at #7 Mocs
LAKELAND, Fla. – The Saint Leo women’s lacrosse team, ranked 23rd in the nation, fell 19-13 in the Lions’ season opener against seventh-ranked Florida Southern Wednesday night. Despite dropping the non-conference top-25 matchup with the Sunshine State Conference neighbors, Saint Leo saw freshman Maria Palomba break a program record during her collegiate debut in the circle. Palomba won 15 draw controls for the Green and Gold. Fellow freshman Emma Hayhurst also helped off the draw for promising future presence in the critical piece of the game.
Eliz Fino also had a stellar first game to her collegiate career. The freshman attacker paced the offense with six goals and an assist for seven points. Fiona McLaughlin dished out five goals to open her sophomore campaign.
Liz Clark put in the work between the pipes in all 60 minutes of action. The sophomore goalkeeper faced 19 shots and earned six stops.
On Friday, Feb 11, Saint Leo will host the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers in the Lions’ home opener under the lights, starting at 7:00 p.m.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women’s lacrosse, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
