HPU Women’s Lacrosse Powers Past Longwood 15-6

• HPU opened the game on a 9-0 run and led by as many as 12 (14-2)
• Junior Leah Pace set new career highs in points (5) and ground balls (6) in the game
• Senior Kendyl Gardner matched her career best with five points on two goals and three assists

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s lacrosse team (6-9, 4-2) scored the first nine goals of the game and never looked back en route to a 15-6 win over Longwood (5-11, 3-3) on Sunday afternoon inside Vert Stadium.

The Panthers led 10-2 at the half and extended their advantage to 12 (14-2) before cruising to the nine-goal victory.

HPU held a strong 29-12 advantage in shots and raced out to the big lead on the strength of a +7 edge (10-3) in draw controls in the first half. HPU also picked up 23 ground balls to Longwood’s 18 and held a 9-8 edge in caused turnovers.

Junior Leah Pace led the Panthers with a career-high five points (3g, 2a) and tallied a personal best six ground balls on the day. She also picked up two draw controls and caused a turnover in the win.

Senior Kendyl Gardner matched her career-high with five points on two goals and a personal best three assists.

“We want to get better every day and continue to improve,” Gardner said. “We took our feelings from Friday’s loss and put them in our back pocket so we could remember how it felt. That helped us come out with a fire today and play at our best.”

Freshman Erica Perrotta posted three goals and an assist while picking up two ground balls and two draw controls, while junior Kristina Renner added two goals and an assist. Renner also picked up a team-high four draw controls and in the process moved into sixth place on the all-time HPU draw controls list. Renner has a team-high 40 draws on the year and is just eight away from setting a new HPU single-season record.

Junior Allie Foard added two goals and picked up three ground balls while freshman defender Olivia Nostrant tallied three ground balls and caused a turnover on the day.

Pace and Perrotta each tallied a pair of goals during HPU’s opening surge that gave the Panthers a 9-0 lead at the 6:59 mark of the first half. Longwood tallied a pair of scores before the half to enter the break down by eight (10-2).

Senior Abby Berrettone tallied a score just two minutes into the second half, and subsequent goals from Perrotta, Gardner and senior Stephanie Pazulski fueled a 4-0 run that extended the lead to 12 (14-2) with 18:41 to go in the game. Longwood would not move closer than nine for the remainder of the game.

High Point wraps up the regular season Friday (April 24) with a home contest against Winthrop (6 p.m.). Prior to the game, HPU will honor its six seniors for their contributions to the program.