#2 Mercer Wins 2022 Big South Women's Lacrosse Championship
In the Bears' inaugural season in the Big South, they clinched the tournament championship behind a balance of a potent offense and a strong defense in the 16-13 win over top-seeded High Point.
Lyndsey Lewis, with five goals and an assist, led the Mercer (14-4, 8-1) offense to the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon. Lewis was tabbed as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Chloe Schaeffer and
Shannon Urey followed up with a hat trick apiece.
Hailey Rhatigan put two away, while three –
Kileigh Casey,
Maddi Koury and
Kayla Soltys – each tallied a score.
"(I'm) super proud of this team," said Head Coach
Samantha Eustace. "It was such a great win. We beat an incredible High Point team today. Excited to go dancing in the NCAAs."
The two sides split the game's six scores, with High Point (10-9, 8-1) notching the first just 1:33 into the game. Casey leveled the game at one before Lewis scored two of the next three to make it 3-2. After High Point evened terms at three, Schaeffer and Lewis both struck to give the Bears a 5-3 cushion with just 4:45 left in the opening stanza. Rhatigan answered a Panthers' goal to end the quarter's scoring at 6-4.
After High Point scored first in the second to climb back within a score at 6-5, Schaeffer and Soltys stretched the lead back to 8-5 in a two-minute span. A three-goal run countered a High Point score with strikes from Rhatgan, Koury and Urey gave Mercer an 11-6 lead going into the break.
Trying to get back into the game, the Panthers got a shot past
Iseabal Cryne to make it an 11-7 affair not even four minutes into the third. Schaeffer responded by capping her hat trick with a goal off a Rhatigan assist to bring the lead back to five. 43 seconds later, the home team countered to make it 12-8 at the 11:07 mark. Another two-goal run for Mercer, this time by Urey and Lewis, gave them the six-goal lead at 14-8 and put the contest out of the Panthers' reach with 9:21 to go in the third. The same duo, but in different order, scored again in the frame's last 3:07 to make it a 16-9 advantage going into the fourth.
Despite four goals by High Point in the fourth quarter, Mercer held on for the three-goal win.
Rhatigan paced the Bears with five assists on the day. Lewis added to her six points with game-highs of seven wins at the draw circle and four caused turnovers.
Cryne stopped nine shots, collected six ground balls and caused a turnover while in net today.
As a team, Mercer won 54.5% (18-of-33) draw controls and caused 17 turnovers. The Bears totaled 33 shots with 25 being on frame.
The Bears, who won the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, will learn their next opponent tonight. At 9 p.m., the NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPNU.
2022 Big South Women’s Lacrosse All-Tournament Team
Lyndsey Lewis, Mercer (MVP)
Iseabal Cryne, Mercer
Hailey Rhatigan, Mercer
Chloe Schaeffer, Mercer
Abby Hormes, High Point
Ava Scudillo, High Point
Mena Loescher, High Point
Meagan Beal, Furman
Katelyn Sousa, Furman
Danielle Burke, Gardner-Webb
Jada Preston, Gardner-Webb