May 3, 2009

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University women's lacrosse team claimed the inaugural National Lacrosse Conference (NLC) Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Athletics Complex in Farmville with a 19-8 win over the University of Detroit Mercy. Sophomore Karli Brentlinger/Gambrills, Md. (South River) led Longwood with five goals. The Lancers ended the season at 11-6 while Detroit fell to 5-9.

Detroit jumped out to a three-goal lead, two of them by Emily Boissonneault. Longwood stormed back, scoring five goals over the next 7:56 to pull ahead 5-3 with 11:24 remaining in the first half. Morgan Illian/Salisbury, Md. (Parkside) scored two goals during the run while Amanda Bereznay/Gwynn Oak, Md. (Seton Keough), Carlie Nethken/Hanover, Md. (Long Reach) and Brentlinger each added one. Detroit cut the lead to one with 4:38 to go in the first half but Longwood countered with four goals to end the first period. Bereznay, Cara O'Brien/Arlington (Bishop O'Connell), Nethken and Dee Warehime/Westminster, Md. (Westminster) each scored one goal to give the Lancers the 9-4 halftime lead.

Longwood scored the first two goals of the second half. Brentlinger and Warehime each scored in the first 4:29 of the second put the Lancers ahead 11-4. Detroit countered with two goals, one by Boissonneault and one by Olivia Mendoza, to trim the lead to 11-6 with 15:40 remaining in the game. Longwood answered with three goals, one by Karen Nirschl/Herndon (Bishop O'Connell), one by Mary Simpson/Richmond (Trinity Episcopal) and the final by Brentlinger. After a Detroit goal, Brentlinger scored two goals in 14 seconds to put Longwood ahead 16-7 with 6:45 remaining. Michelle Owen/Finksburg, Md. (Mount de Sales Academy) scored her first goal of the game to give Longwood the 17-7 lead. Detroit scored one more, followed by a Warehime goal and one final goal from Owen to give Longwood the 19-8 win.

Page Farmer/Richmond (St. Catherine's) collected seven ground balls and caused three turnovers with one assist in the game. Warehime finished with three goals and one assist. Bereznay, Illian, Nethken and Owen each finished with two goals.

The Lancers placed five players on the NLC All-Tournament Team. Kesley Dean/Centreville, Md. (Queen Anne's), Illian, Nethken, Liz Sellmayer/Baltimore, Md. (Mount de Sales Academy) and Duan Wright/Church Hill, Md. (Queen Anne's) represented the Lancers. They were joined by Megan Canty, Boissonneault and Brett Yenger from Detroit, Ashlee Brown and Sakita Holley from Howard University and Brittni Dulaney and Jenna Handshoe from Presbyterian College.

Presbyterian topped Howard in the consolation game 24-17.