HPU Women’s Lacrosse Opens Season with Win Over Virginia Tech

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women’s lacrosse team opened the 2013 season with a 9-5 win over Virginia Tech on Friday at Vert Stadium. Junior Alec Perry led HPU with three goals. Junior Mackenzie Carroll had two goals and two assists.

“I thought we played a good all-around game,” said HPU head coach Lyndsey Boswell. “Our defensive stops led into our offense. Alec had an amazing game, Anna Wallingford came up with saves in goal and everyone on the field contributed. Our midfielders moved the ball really well. It was great to start off the season with a win.”

Behind Perry and Carroll, sophomore Kendyl Gardner had a goal, an assist and three ground balls. Christie Dougherty, Lila Mastroberti and Stephanie Pazulski also scored. Junior Jasmine Jordan led the defense with five ground balls and four assists while defenders Patricia Bigelow and Cissy Woodyard each had three ground balls.

Virginia Tech got a pair of goals and two ground balls from Libby Rosebro. Three others scored, including Julia Heaps, who also had two ground balls and a draw control. Midfielder Meghan Macera had a game-high five draw controls.

With the win, High Point began the season 1-0 for the second season in a row. Virginia Tech dropped to 0-2. The win marked the program’s first over an ACC opponent.

Carroll scored HPU’s first goal of the season with 15:38 left in the first half. She dodged in front of the goal and scored on a low shot. The Panthers took a 2-0 lead when Pazulski scored on a feed from sophomore Gardner with 14:41 on the clock.

Virginia Tech got on the board with 2:14 remaining in the first half. Heaps was open behind the net and came around for the shot. The score stood at 2-1 at halftime.

High Point opened the second half with four straight goals and never looked back. Gardner scored with 26:47 left in the game, coming up the right side and netting a far-side shot. The first of Perry’s three goals came with 24:40 left, making it 4-1. Mastroberti, a freshman, notched her first career goal on a free-position shot with 21:04 remaining and Carroll scored again just over a minute later.

High Point was leading 6-1 when Rosebro created some pressure for the Hokies. She scored consecutive goals in less than a minute to pull her team within three. The first goal came off the rebound of her own shot and the second came after the next draw, a low shot from the right side.

High Point responded with goals from Perry and Dougherty to go ahead, 8-3. With 12:32 left, Tech’s Cawley Bromley scored on a free-position shot. Each team got another goal in the final 10 minutes. Carroll’s score with 5:25 remaining made the final 9-5.

Wallingford played the whole game in net, making four saves in each half. Virginia Tech’s Alex Gale made 11 saves in the game, including eight in the first half. HPU outshot Virginia Tech, 27-19, and went 18-for-19 on clear attempts.

The Panthers will be back in action on Sunday at 1 p.m. when they host the University of Florida at Vert Stadium. The Gators are ranked No. 3 in the nation and are coming off a win over Jacksonville.