CHARLOTTE, N.C.– The No. 7 UIndy women's lacrosse team took down the No. 2-ranked Tampa Spartans on Saturday by a final of 12-11 in Charlotte, N.C., at the 2023 Crown Lacrosse Classic.
With the win, the Hounds jump up to 6-0 on the season and have now won their last 23 games dating back to last season.
In total, seven different players for UIndy had one or more point in the contest. The duo of
Anna Ziemba and
Joey Fowler led the squad on offense with three points each. On defense,
Delaney Stahrr matched her career high with four caused turnovers while goalkeeper
Audrey Moran matched her career high with nine saves in the net to pick up the winning decision.
Kara Antonucci managed four draw controls to lead the Hounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds netted two goals within the first three minutes of the game and then tacked on two more unanswered from the sticks of Fowler and
Quinn Malcolm to take an early 4-0 advantage over the Spartans. However, Tampa came roaring back towards the end of the opening quarter with four unanswered goals of its own to make the contest all square. Despite the shift in momentum, a big second quarter from UIndy saw the team produce four goals while holding UT to just one in return as the Hounds led 8-5 at the break.
Both teams netted a pair of goals in the third which kept the Greyhounds with a slim lead going into the final 15 minutes. The fourth was all Tampa, who scored four goals to just two from UIndy. However, up by one with second remaining, Greyhound goalkeeper Moran corralled a clutch save on a Spartan shot which capped off a thrilling victory in the 2023 Crown Lacrosse Classic.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Tampa led the game with 28 total shots while UIndy had 26.
-Each team coughed up 12 turnovers in the contest.
-The Hounds scooped up a game-high 18 ground balls. The Spartans had 10.
-The Spartans won the battle in the draw control circle at 17-9.
-Tampa had nine free-positions shots, six of which came in the fourth period.
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Elaine Jones' initial thoughts on the win...
"What an exciting game and awesome team win! The players had this date circled and marked from day one, and they were prepared mentally and physically to play today. Although we still have some areas to work on as the season moves along, I am really proud of the effort they gave in earning this win today. I specifically like how our freshman really stepped up and contributed in several areas."
Jones discusses the defensive effort from her team...
"Our defense held multiple times despite being shorthanded.
Audrey Moran had a great game protecting the net and came up with a lot of clutch saves to help secure the win."
UP NEXT
The Hounds will be back in action next Sunday, March 12, up in Allendale, Mich., for a battle against No. 10 Grand Valley State. The contest is set to begin at 12 p.m. ET.
