MARS HILL, N.C. --- Seven goals from Sydney Joyce helped Mars Hill University to a 15-12 win over Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse action Saturday night at Meares Stadium.
Kiersten Foust scored four goals for the Lions (3-7, 2-6 SAC), who scored the final three goals of the first half to take a 9-6 lead to intermission, and never trailed in the second half against the Pioneers (1-4, 0-4 SAC). Mars Hill scored nine free-position goals in 17 attempts while Tusculum was just 3-for-9 on free position shots.
Megann McKinney led the Pioneers with a career-high five goals, Tia Tuininga scored three goals, Juliette Cusano had two goals and an assist and Kylie Marek scored twice for Tusculum, which was outshot 34-28 by Mars Hill.
Mars Hill wasted little time in getting on the board as Foust won the opening draw, went downfield and scored at 17 seconds for a 1-0 Lions lead. Joyce extended the lead to 2-0 just 1:22 into the match, but goals 35 seconds apart from Marek and McKinney on free positions tied the score at 2-2 with 25:47 left in the opening half.
Two goals from Foust were answered less than a minute later by Tuininga, leaving the score 4-4 with 22:05 to go in the half. Tusculum took its first and only lead at 5-4 on a goal by McKinney with 19:27 left in the half, but Joyce scored twice to restore the Lions' lead at 6-5 with 15:58 to go. McKinney re-tied the game at 6-6 just 28 seconds after Joyce's goal, but the Pioneers would go scoreless the final 15:30 of the half as Alexa Tazzetta, Joyce and Taylor Burgess scored to send the Lions to the break with a 9-6 lead.
Cusano scored her first goal of the match with 28:48 left to bring the Pioneers within 9-7, but Foust and Joyce responded for an 11-7 Lions lead with 27:05 to go. Tusculum again cut the deficit to two on goals from Marek and McKinney, and an exchange of goals 19 seconds apart from Samantha Newton and Tuininga left Mars Hill on top 12-10 with 13:26 to play.
Back-to-back free-position goals from Joyce and Tazzetta gave the Lions a 14-10 lead with 10:27 remaining, but Cusano scored 25 seconds later to pull the Pioneers within 14-11. Joyce's seventh of the evening made it a 15-11 Mars Hill lead with 9:47 on the clock, and the teams played the final 8:23 without a goal after McKinney scored her fifth of the contest.
Cusano led the Pioneers with six ground balls, six draw controls and three caused turnovers, while McKinney had five draw controls and Eliza Ryan collected four ground balls. For the Lions, Joyce had four draw controls, Tazzetta had six ground balls and three draw controls and Maria Fabrizio had five caused turnovers.
Each team finished with 14 draw controls, while Tusculum had 19 turnovers to 16 by Mars Hill. The Pioneers were 18-for-24 on clears and the Lions were 22-for-27.
Kate Pipkin played all 60 minutes for the Pioneers and collected 11 saves, including nine in the second half. For the Lions, Alexandria Holleran started in goal and allowed goals on the first four Tusculum shots before giving way to Gini Joy, who played the final 50:28 and made eight saves.
The Pioneers will be home to take on UVA Wise on Monday, April 12 at 4 p.m. at Pioneer Field. The match will be Senior Day as the senior and graduate members of the program will be honored prior to the start of the contest.
