Pride shake off rough start to pull off 16-14 Senior Day victory
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Playing their first home game since March 17, the Clarke University women's lacrosse team was able to pull out a 16-14 win over University of Saint Mary on Friday evening.
The win will go into the books as head coach Louis Deeny's first victory as the leader of the Pride and go down as a Senior Day triumph as CU honored Charlee Miller as their long senior for the 2022 season.
It wasn't an easy victory by any means as Clarke trailed 5-2 with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter when they were able to finish the period outscoring the Spires 4-2 to put it at a 6-6 tie after the first.
Another six-goal quarter in the second would put the Pride up 12-9 at halftime as USM found the back of the net with a late goal in the quarter as nine seconds remained on the clock.
The defense would pick up in the second half as the team's only scored nine combined in the final 30 minutes after both combined for nine or more in each of the first two quarters.
Saint Mary was able to tie it up at 13-13 with a goal in the third quarter at 23 seconds remaining but this time it was Clarke with a late goal as Alyssa Humphrey scored with eight seconds left in the third to make it a 14-13 lead for CU.
Madison Frey and Jocelyn Lawrence would score insurance goals to cushion leads to 15-13 and 16-14 at the 4:41 and 59-second marks as the Pride would hang on to clinch their first win of the season.
Lawrence tallied a season-high five goals on the night to tie for the team lead in the game with Humphrey as each added assists with Humphrey dishing out three helpers and Lawrence adding one. Emily Moran finished with four points at three goals and an assist with Lindsey Wanaski, Lacey Herzog, and Frey each adding a goal apiece as Wanaski also assisting on another.
The game's leader in goals was Karlee Graves for Saint Mary as she netted seven goals by CU goalie Mars Beimert as Beimert made 10 saves on the 24 shots faced over the 60 minutes of action.
Clarke women's lacrosse will have the weekend off before hosting a makeup game on Monday at 4:00 p.m. CT against William Penn University at Burrows Field.