via press release – photo via AM web site   AVE MARIA, Fla. — Trailing 4-3 at the half, the eighth ranked Ave Maria women’s lacrosse team rallied in the second half to top #6 Columbia 10-6 on Monday afternoon. AMU improves to 2-1 on the season with the win. Bianca Ballarin picked up the win in net for AMU. She made 16 saves on the afternoon while allowing six goals. She is now 2-1 on the season. A low scoring, defensive game from the start saw Columbia take an early lead with four of the game’s first five goals. The lone AMU goal came from Mackenzie Tourville to even the score at 1-1 with 16:32 to play in the first half. Trailing 4-1, Ave Maria then scored the next eight goals to take a 9-4 lead. Katelyn Sherman scored two goals at the end of the half to make it 4-3 at the break. To start the second half, Sarah Wade, Stephanie Hilker, and Alexis Smich each scored goals in the first 8:08 of the half to make it 6-4 in favor of the Gyrenes. Tourville, Abby Castro, and Wade concluded the eight-goal spurt by AMU to make it 9-4. After back-to-back goals by the Koalas cut the AMU advantage to three, Sherman found the back of the net for the Lady Gyrenes with 1:48 to play to put the game away for Ave Maria. Ave Maria held a slim advantage in shots, 26-25. Both teams put 22 shots on frame. Ave Maria finished with 23 turnovers while Columbia turned the ball over 22 times. The Lady Gyrenes had a big advantage in ground balls, 40-25. Sherman led AMU with three goals while Tourville and Wade both tallied two goal. Ballarin grabbed a team-high eight ground balls followed by Sherman with six and Wade and Tourville each with five. Sherman also caused three turnovers while three Lady Gyrenes tallied two draw controls. The Lady Gyrenes return to action on Wednesday when they host Lourdes at 4 p.m.