For its third game in program history, women’s lacrosse records its second win. Point Park went up against Lake Erie College on Friday, Feb. 27, at home and won 17-8.
The Pioneers were coming back from a loss when they stepped onto the field this past Friday versus Malone University.
“I couldn’t wait to get the team back on the field,” coach Eriki Ingram said. “Malone had a rough ending, but there were many moments where we looked great as well. I knew if we could get a good start, we would be able to get a great result on Friday.”
Point Park scored four goals in the first quarter, two of which were in the first five minutes by freshman attacker Kylie Leasure.
“After coming off a loss, we were fueled to beat this team knowing what we needed to change, and went out and did exactly that,” Leasure said. “We were able to control our game and capitalize on Lake Erie’s mistakes.”
Lake Erie matched Point Park’s pace in the first quarter, and both teams went into the second quarter with a tie, 4-4.
“A tied game is the same as starting the game from the very beginning, and we have a good habit of going hard right off the first whistle,” defender Lexi Spears said. “So, I knew our team would lock in and do the right things. We obviously have things we are still working on, but during games it takes a lot more to get me worried than a tied score.”
Through the second quarter, the Pioneers gained momentum and went into the second half leading 9-5.
“The goals that Lake Erie were scoring were well-earned, so the [team’s] vibe was always positive. The effort was amazing, so I knew it was just a matter of time,” Ingram said.
The Pioneers scored an additional five goals in the third quarter, which put them in the lead by nine.
After the first goal in the fourth quarter, the clock continued to run in accordance with the NCAA women’s lacrosse mercy rule, which creates a continuous running clock once a team leads with 10 or more goals. This is the second game where the women have jump-started this rule.
“It’s a testament to our work rate, execution and depth. We already have 12 goal scorers, and that number will continue to grow,” Ingram said.
The players who led the scoring charts were Kiley Leasure and Andrea Kinger with six each. The remaining goals came from Alayna Zell with three, and Ava Miller and Gracie Favela with one each. These numbers amounted to the final score of 17-8.
Point Park’s women’s lacrosse has roughly two more weeks and four games until conference play.
“Before conference games, we definitely have a lot of things to clean up,” Spears said. “I think just keeping up the communication, trust, and not taking our foot off the gas will significantly help us. We have amazing chemistry, but as a first-year team, there are going to be some little things that just need polishing.”
The Pioneers will be at home for their next two games. The first is up against Edinboro on Thursday, March 5. The second takes place against Bethany on Saturday, March 7.
