Lakeland, Fla. - With a three-goal advantage at halftime, the no. 2 Adelphi University women's lacrosse team held on for an 11-9 victory at no. 3 Florida Southern Sunday afternoon.
Alyssa Gillespie led the charge for the Panthers (2-0) finishing with three goals and two draw controls as
Kole Pollock and
Molly Fetherston followed close behind with two tallies apiece. In goal for the Adelphi,
Emma Lemanski was one save shy of her career-best mark, ending the contest with 10. The Mocs (1-1) now fall to 2-5 in the all-time series, after dropping their first contest of the season at home.
Three different scorers for Adelphi helped the visitors jump out to a 3-0 lead at Moccasin Field, with the help of two points from
Alison Johnson - who was responsible for both a goal and assist. Florida Southern's Riley Bannatyne responded with a man-up goal after a draw control win from the home team and yellow card to
Allison Stackpole, and inched closer to the Panthers with another tally from Marina Jozokos.
Grace Glinecki of the hosts notched back-to-back goals to even the score at 4-all, but three straight from the Brown and Gold, capped with a strike from
Gianna Bifulco helped the Panthers hold their advantage headed into the break.
Strong defense from
Alexandra Beebe and
Nicki Stanco in the opening frame assisted in the 15 turnovers the Mocs committed, even despite the home team holding the upper hand in nearly every other category.
Adelphi scored less than three minutes into the second half, responding to an earlier Florida Southern goal but fell silent over the ensuing 10 minutes. A successful clear attempt made way for Johnson to connect with Gillespite which sparked another three goal spurt to extend the visitor lead.
The Moccasins scored two within a minute of each other but were then held scoreless over the last four minutes en route to Adelphi's second straight win. The victory avenges last year's season opening loss to the Mocs, 16-17 in Lakeland.
The Panthers return north and host their home opener on Saturday, March 2 against #6 East Stroudsburg. Opening draw is set for 1:00 p.m. at thew newly resurfaced Motamed Field.
About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.
Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.
Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at
aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at
our licensed team store.
