WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The top-seeded and No. 3-ranked SCAD Savannah women's lacrosse team punched its ticket to the Sun Conference Tournament Championship game with a dominant 17-2 victory over four-seeded No. 7 Life University on Friday evening.
RECORDS: The Bees improve to 12-2 on the season, while the Running Eagles' season comes to an end at 8-9.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Life came out with early intensity, battling the Bees to a 2-2 tie at the end of the first quarter.
Karley Holland and
Maddie Krohn provided early offense for SCAD, but the Running Eagles managed to find the back of the net twice in the opening 15 minutes.
However, the second quarter marked a complete shift in momentum. SCAD's defense clamped down, initiating a stunning 45-minute shutout that would last the remainder of the game. Offensively, the Bees caught fire, exploding for five goals in the second period. Holland,
Lilah Herold, and
Ellen Benintendi led the charge to give SCAD a confident 7-2 advantage heading into halftime.
The Bees continued their relentless attack in the second half. SCAD poured in six goals in the third quarter, capitalizing on power-play opportunities and flawless ball movement. The defense refused to give Life any breathing room, forcing double-digit turnovers. SCAD slammed the door with four more goals in the final frame to easily secure the 17-2 postseason victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The SCAD defense was spectacular, holding the Running Eagles scoreless for the final three quarters of the game and forcing 22 total turnovers.
- Karley Holland was a major offensive catalyst, netting seven goals, including power-play and free-position strikes.
- McKinsey Brown, Marygrace Gordon and Annise Berkeley operated as elite facilitators, consistently setting up the offense and logging multiple assists throughout the contest.
- Ellen Benintendi, Lilah Herold, Mia Andre and Maddie Krohn all added to the scoring column in the dominant team effort.
- Goalies Chloe Zundel and Lorna Fowles were a brick wall in the cage. Zundel played the majority of the game, recording several key saves and allowing just two early goals. Fowles played nearly 19 minutes in relief, preserving the shutout and making one save.
- The Bees heavily outshot the Running Eagles 34-14 and held a 20-14 advantage in ground balls.
- SCAD's draw control unit was highly effective, securing 16 draw controls compared to Life's five.
WHAT'S NEXT? With the victory, the No. 1 seed Bees advance to the Sun Conference Tournament Championship game, where they will face off against the No. 2 seed Keiser University for the conference crown.
