Elon WLAX Phoenix Rallies for 10-7 Win at Longwood

FARMVILLE, Va. – After trailing 3-0 early in the game, the Elon women’s lacrosse team bounced back and outscored Longwood 10-4 the remainder of the game to take a 10-7 final today, Feb. 14, at the Longwood Athletics Complex.

The Phoenix (2-1) outshot the Lancers (0-2), 26-22, on the day and claimed a 22-17 advantage in ground balls. Elon was a perfect 8-for-8 in clear attempts and claimed six draws in the game.

Elon’s Stephanie Asher scored a game-high four goals followed by two from Nicole Sinacori. Kelsey Dupere, Molly Garrigan, Anna Vitton and Jacie Cooper all contributed one score on the day, while Sloane Kessler tallied three assists.

Asher also picked up a game-high five ground balls, claimed one draw and had two caused turnovers. Goalie Rachel Ramirez finished with 11 saves on the day and recorded four ground balls.

After Longwood moved out to a 3-0 advantage in the first six minutes, Cooper netted the first goal of the day for the Phoenix at the 14:51 mark. A save and ground ball by Ramirez in the Elon defensive end led to a goal by Sinacori off a Dupere assist with less than 10 minutes to play in half to pull the Phoenix within one of the Lancers, 3-2. With 7:13 on the clock, Garrigan evened the game at three-all off a pass from Kessler.

Over the next several minutes, Longwood tallied two more scores to move back in front by two, 5-3, before Asher netted her first score of the game with 1:03 left in the half. Abby Godfrey grabbed the ensuing draw that allowed a Kessler pass to Sinacori to score with only six seconds remaining to make it a 5-5 game at the break.

In the second half, Asher picked up a ground ball off a Longwood save and scored at the 21:41 mark to give Elon its first lead of the day, 6-5. Less than two minutes later, Vitton netted her first goal of the game to make it a two-goal lead, 7-5, with 19:59 remaining in the game.

After the Lancers cut its deficit to one, 7-6, the Phoenix took advantage of a man-up opportunity with Asher’s third score of the day to regain a two-goal edge with under 14 minutes to play. Dupere and Asher recorded two more goals in the final 12 minutes to give Elon a 10-6 lead with 2:42 left in the game. Longwood once scored in the final two minutes to make it a three-goal differential but Elon kept the advantage intact and closed out the victory.

In the game, Longwood held the advantage at the draw, 12-6, and was 3-for-3 in clear attempts. Sarah Butler, Katie McHugh and Madison Stair all tallied three goals for the Lancers, while goalie Christian Acker also recorded 11 saves.

Elon remains on the road and travels south to Florida next weekend to take on two former Atlantic Sun Conference opponents, beginning with a game at Jacksonville on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in Jacksonville, Fla.