York, Pa. – Five different players scored four goals apiece as Plymouth State University held off Marymount University (Va.), 20-16, in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Kinsley Field, hosted by York College (Pa.).
Plymouth State improves to 16-3 and advances to face the host Spartans in a second-round matchup on Sunday (May 11) at 1:00 p.m. Marymount wraps up its season with a 17-3 record.
The Saints grabbed an early lead in the first quarter, but the Panthers responded with a 6-1 run and remained in front the rest of the way. Senior
Julia Donovan (Antrim, N.H.) tallied three goals during the surge. The teams traded goals for much of the game, with Marymount trimming the deficit to 7-6 early in the second quarter.
Graduate student
Elle Moshier (Stratford, Conn.) followed with back-to-back goals, and junior
Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) added her second of the day to send PSU into halftime with a 10-7 lead.
Marymount pulled within two on three separate occasions in the third quarter, but the Panthers closed the frame with a 3-1 spurt behind another Cunningham tally and a pair of goals from graduate student
Megan Gaspa (Laconia, N.H.) to make it 16-12 heading to the fourth.
The Saints mounted a late push, scoring three straight midway through the final period to cut the margin to 17-15, but Moshier answered with consecutive goals as the Panthers secured the win.
The victory marks PSU's third NCAA Tournament win and its first since 2019. Plymouth State has never advanced past the second round.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 20, Marymount 16
- Plymouth State (16-3)
- Marymount (17-3)
How it Happened:
- The Saints opened the scoring less than two minutes in, but Gaspa and Donovan answered with back-to-back goals, and PSU would never trail again.
- Marymount tied the game at 2-2 with 9:15 left in the first, but Donovan scored twice to spark a 4-0 run. Gaspa added her second, and Cunningham capped the stretch with a woman-up goal for a 6-2 advantage.
- Marymount tallied a goal in the closing seconds to make it 6-3 after one.
- Senior Maddie Hunt (Littleton, Mass.) extended the Panthers' lead just 49 seconds into the second quarter, but Marymount responded with three straight to pull within 7-6. Moshier followed with two goals, and Cunningham pushed it to 10-6 with under five minutes remaining.
- The Saints added a late score to trim it to 10-7 at the break.
- Marymount sandwiched a pair of goals around Cunningham's third to make it 11-9 early in the third, but Donovan and Hunt answered to restore a four-goal lead.
- The Saints responded with consecutive goals to cut it to 13-11, but the Panthers struck three times in just over a minute – Cunningham opened the burst, and Gaspa followed with two more to make it 16-11.
- Marymount managed a late third-quarter goal to close the frame at 16-12.
- Hunt netted a woman-down goal midway through the fourth, but Marymount reeled off three straight to pull within 17-15 with more than six minutes left.
- Moshier quickly responded with two goals just 12 seconds apart, and the teams traded goals over the final minutes, with Hunt recording the game's last tally in the closing minute.
By the Numbers:
- Donovan and Hunt paced the offense with four goals and one assist each. Donovan added four ground balls and a caused turnover, while Hunt contributed seven draw controls, three ground balls, and one caused turnover.
- Gaspa scored a career-high four goals, along with six draw controls, three caused turnovers, and three ground balls.
- Moshier and Cunningham also netted four goals apiece.
- Senior Jenna Stowell (Londonderry, N.H.) finished with six draw controls and an assist.
- Senior Margie Black (Longmeadow, Mass.) made nine saves to earn her 40th career win – the second-most in program history.
- PSU held a 26-23 edge in shots on goal and went 12-for-14 on clears while limiting Marymount to 12-of-22.
- The Panthers won the ground ball battle, 24-14, owned a 24-18 edge in draw controls, and converted 5-of-8 free position attempts.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State will play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for just the fourth time, taking on #8 York College (Pa.) on Sunday (May 11) at 1:00 p.m.
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