GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Lee University defeated Tusculum University 14-9 in non-conference women's lacrosse action Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Dariana Blanton had four goals and an assist and Brittney White contributed three goals and three assists for the Flames (4-2), who are 4-0 against South Atlantic Conference opponents this season. Giselle Gonzalez tallied three goals and Kelsey McGowen and Shayna Ryan scored two apiece for the Flames, who outshot the Pioneers 28-19 and overcame a 3-1 deficit in the opening 15 minutes.
Juliette Cusano led the Pioneers (2-3) with four goals, Emily Youngblood had three goals and Kylie Marek and Megann McKinney scored one goal apiece for Tusculum, which scored three straight goals to pull within 11-9 with 13:35 left before the Flames scored the final three goals.
Tusculum went ahead 2-0 after six minutes on goals by Cusano and McKinney, and Lee got on the scoreboard as McGowen scored with 23:34 left in the first half. A goal from Cusano extended the Pioneers' lead to 4-1 with 22:59 remaining in the half, but Gonzalez, Blanton, White and Ryan scored in a five-minute span as the Flames went up 5-3 with 15:57 to go in the half. Goals by Cusano and Youngblood were answered by Gonzalez and Blanton, with Ryan and White scoring in the final seven minutes to send Lee to the half with a 9-5 lead.
The Pioneers cut the margin to 9-6 on a goal by Youngblood just over two minutes into the second half, but Blanton and White teamed up to push the Flames ahead 11-6 with 20:13 left. Tusculum would keep Lee scoreless for the next 13 1/2 minutes, pulling to within 11-9 on free-position goals from Cusano, Youngblood and Marek, the latter with 13:35 left. Lee was able to preserve its two-goal margin until McGowen scored with 6:33 left for a 12-9 lead, and Gonzalez and Blanton closed the scoring in the final five minutes.
White, who is among the leaders in Division II with more than 11 draw controls per game, led all players with seven draw controls in the match although Tusculum had a 14-11 advantage on draws. Cusano led Tusculum with five draw controls and added three ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers, while Eliza Ryan and Kamryn McNeil each had a pair of caused turnovers as the Flames finished the game with 12 turnovers as a team.
Emily Osborne had a team-high three caused turnovers for the Flames along with three ground balls, as Tusculum had 18 turnovers for the afternoon. Lee had a 20-12 advantage in ground balls, and the Flames were perfect on 17 clear attempts while the Pioneers were 13-for-17.
Both teams used two goalkeepers in the match, with Kate Pipkin and Caroline Monroe each making five saves during their respective halves of action for Tusculum. For Lee, starter Caleigh Smith had one save in 21 1/2 minutes of playing time, with Lindsey Glass making four stops in the final 38 1/2 minutes.
The Pioneers will open their South Atlantic Conference schedule on Saturday, March 7 at Newberry, starting at 3 p.m. The Wolves (3-4) lost their conference opener 18-4 to Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday, Feb. 26 in their most-recent action.
