CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. --- Elisha Stack tied the Tusculum University single-game program record with eight assists as the Pioneers pulled away in the second half for a 22-10 victory over Thomas More University in non-conference women's lacrosse Wednesday afternoon.
Stack, who added three goals to finish the day with 11 points, tied the record of eight assists set by Madison Malone against Lincoln Memorial on March 30, 2016. The 22 goals for the Pioneers are a season high and tied for the fifth-most in a game in program history.
Cassidy Bourne added four goals and three assists while Mya Halladay and Sophia Didzbalis had four goals apiece for the Pioneers (5-5), who outscored the Saints (0-8) by a 13-4 margin in the second half. Zuza Stasiak and Kayla Nuccio had two goals apiece for the Pioneers, with one goal each from Liberty Jones, Jessie Carolin-Vandenberg and Mackenzie Sherrod.
Anna Wells had five goals to lead the Saints, with three goals and an assist from Meg Pierani. Alex Nunn and Elina Emmons also scored for Thomas More, which was outshot 37-32 by Tusculum.
The Pioneers led 4-2 after seven minutes on two goals apiece from Halladay and Didzbalis, with three assists for Stack. Thomas More would score three of the final four goals in the opening quarter to move into a 5-5 deadlock after one period.
A goal from Wells gave the Saints a 6-5 lead with 10:11 remaining in the first half, but the Pioneers got two quick goals from Sherrod and Bourne to go up 7-6 with 7:38 to go. Halladay and Carolin-Vandenberg added goals in the final minute as the Pioneers held a 9-6 lead at halftime.
Three quick goals from Nuccio, Bourne and Stasiak pushed the Pioneers up 12-7 with 11:18 left in the third quarter, sparking a run of eight goals in the period for the Pioneers.
Tusculum led 13-9 with 8:19 left in the third quarter, but the Pioneers would score nine straight goals including two apiece from Didzbalis, Stack and Bourne to take a 22-9 lead with 6:48 remaining.
Halladay and Stasiak shared the team lead with five draw controls for the Pioneers, with four for Didzbalis and three for Jones. Didzbalis also had a team-high three ground balls for the Pioneers along with Penelope Lee. Nunn paced the Saints with eight draw controls, with four draw controls, four caused turnovers and three ground balls for Wells.
Emily White finished with nine saves in goal for the Pioneers, with nine saves for Whitney White for the Saints. Tusculum was 16-for-18 on clears and had 14 turnovers, while Thomas More was 13-for-16 on clears with 13 turnovers.
The Pioneers host Anderson on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m. at Pioneer Field.
