GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University used a nine-goal barrage in the opening quarter to defeat Chowan University 18-8 in non-conference women's lacrosse action Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Kylie Marek finished with four goals and three assists, Megann McKinney had four goals and an assist and Emily Youngblood scored four goals for the Pioneers (1-2), who led 12-5 at halftime. Tia Tuininga and Lucy Brewer each contributed two goals and an assist and Jessica Spiegel and Natalie Dagley each had a goal and an assist to give new head coach Jenna Agostino her first career victory.
Youngblood scored twice in a 23-second span of the first quarter as the Pioneers netted four goals in the final two minutes of the period to take a 9-1 lead. Marek scored twice in the second quarter and McKinney netted a pair in the third as Tusculum carried a 16-7 lead into the final period. Brewer and McKinney added goals in the fourth to complete the scoring for the Pioneers.
Grace Taylor led the Hawks (0-1) with four goals and an assist, and Victoria Brown and Cameryn Barrow each scored a pair of goals for Chowan, which was outshot 31-26 by Tusculum and committed 20 turnovers as a team. The Hawks were 4-for-9 on free-position shots while Tusculum was 8-for-13 from eight meters.
Tusculum raced to a 3-0 lead after four minutes on goals from Spiegel, Dagley and Tuininga, before Chowan got on the board on a goal from Brown with 9:42 left in the first quarter. Marek scored 45 seconds later to spark a run of seven straight by the Pioneers. Tuininga gave the Pioneers a 5-1 lead with 6:10 left in the period, and Marek pushed Tusculum ahead 6-1 with 1:57 to play. Youngblood scored twice in the final minute and McKinney scored in the final five seconds to give Tusculum a 9-1 lead after one.
After Marek gave the Pioneers a 10-1 lead with 12:49 left in the second quarter, Chowan scored three straight free-position goals in a span of 90 seconds to pull within 10-4 with 9:07 left in the half. Goals from Marek and Brewer were answered by Barrow in the final minute as Tusculum took a 12-5 lead at intermission.
Tusculum went back up by nine goals at 14-5 on goals from Youngblood and McKinney in the first 70 seconds of the third quarter, but Chowan avoided the running clock on goals from Barrow and Taylor. Two more free-position goals from the Pioneers, from McKinney and Youngblood, gave Tusculum a 16-7 lead heading to the fourth. Chowan's lone goal of the fourth quarter came from Taylor with 12:28 left, as Brewer and McKinney netted goals 18 seconds apart to close the scoring with 5:54 to play.
Youngblood led the Pioneers with six draw controls, with five from Marek and four by Brewer. Youngblood and Tuininga shared the team lead with three ground balls, and seven different players had a caused turnovers for the Pioneers. For Chowan, Charity Brown had a team-high seven draw controls, while Taylor and Gracie Timken each had four ground balls.
Caroline Monroe started in goal for the Pioneers and made four saves in just over 20 minutes of action, with Taylor Floyd following up with nine saves in 39 1/2 minutes. Chowan played three keepers, split between starter Patricia Meador (one save), Kora Turner (five saves) and Ariel Johnson (one save).
Tusculum will travel to Lees-McRae to face the Bobcats on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. The Bobcats were idle on Saturday and are off to a 0-2 start heading into a road game Tuesday at Lincoln Memorial.
