DENVER, Colo. — In a game of huge momentum swings, the High Point University women’s lacrosse team came out on the wrong side of an 18-8 score against Denver on Monday afternoon in Denver, Colo. Junior Sara Kuhlman had a hat trick plus an assist for the Panthers.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 6-1 lead before High Point cut it to 6-5. Denver scored two more goals and led, 8-5, at halftime before a snowstorm came through and caused a 2.5-hour delay. The Panthers got momentum back after the break as sophomores Stephanie Pazulski and Kendyl Gardner both scored to cut Denver’s lead to 8-7 with 26 minutes to play, but the Pioneers put it away with eight unanswered goals.
Kuhlman extended her goal-scoring streak to five games. Junior attacker Mackenzie Carroll scored two goals with two assists and junior midfielder Alex Perry had a goal, an assist and two caused turnovers. Gardner had three ground balls and three caused turnovers along with her goal and junior Christie Dougherty had six draw controls.
Denver attacker Jenn Etzel scored six goals with an assist and midfielder Rachael Dillon scored five goals with an assist. Attacker Kara Secora scored three goals with two assists and defender Kate Henrich had five ground balls, five caused turnovers and four draw controls.
Etzel scored the first two goals of the game and Denver led the rest of the way. Carroll got the Panthers on the board with 28:00 left in the first half but it didn’t break the Pioneers’ momentum. Dillon scored twice in a row after Carroll and it was 6-1 on Jill Remenapp’s goal with 22:25 left in the first half.
High Point seized momentum in the second 10 minutes of play, getting four unanswered goals, including two from Kuhlman, to make it 6-5. However, the Pioneers came back with two goals from Etzel before halftime.
After the weather delay, Puzulski scored on an assist from Carroll just 20 seconds into the second half. Gardner made it 8-7 with 26:05 left in the game but the Panthers’ luck ended there. Denver went off for eight goals in a row, including three by Dillon, to take a 16-7. Kuhlman scored off a draw with 7:47 remaining but Denver scored twice more to make it an 18-8 final.
HPU senior Anna Wallingford started in goal and made six saves. Denver’s Hannah Hook earned the win with nine stops. High Point was whistled for 20 more fouls than Denver.
The Panthers have another tough matchup ahead but they will be on their home turf. HPU hosts No. 3 North Carolina on Tuesday, March 12, at Vert Stadium.