FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood lacrosse put together a strong opening quarter on cold, brisk Saturday afternoon, but Mercer outlasted it to down the Lancers 18-5. Riley McDonald keyed a hot start for Longwood (3-8, 1-3 Big South), but Mercer (10-2, 4-0 Big South) used a stifling defense to slowly pull away.
 
SCORE:
 
               1Q          2Q          3Q          4Q          Final
MER      5             7             4             2             18
LWU      2             1             2             0             5
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
Longwood scored first as the team opened the game with plenty of fire. The Lancer defense fended off Mercer over the first four minutes, and Riley McDonald rifled home a pass from Sophia Passa for a 1-0 lead with 11:06 to play in the quarter.
 
Mercer answered with four straight goals by four different players though, including a tally from Shannon Urey, who came in third in the nation in goals per game. The Bears had a balanced attack that saw four players score a hat trick in the contest.
 
Lauren Cerretani put one home to stem the tide for Longwood, with McDonald getting the assist on the play. McDonald added one more early in the second quarter to cut the Mercer lead to 5-3.
 
On the other end, Isabella McCullough was sensational in goal for the Lancers. The freshman posted six saves in the first quarter, and she had a career best 15 saves on the day. The Lancers became the first team in the Big South to hold the preseason favorite to less than 20 goals.
 
That allowed Longwood to hang around, but the Mercer defense didn't allow the Lancers to find purchase in the second quarter. After McDonald's goal cut the lead to two, the Bears scored six goals in a four-minute span that put the lead at 11-3.
 
Mercer extended the lead to 10 after halftime, and the damage was done. McDonald finished off her hat trick on a nice free position after halftime, but the Bear defense remained nearly impregnable.

WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"I think the highlight of our competition today was on the defensive end of things with a stellar showing from a solid unit," said Longwood Head Coach Kylar Ferguson. "They were able to stifle a big offense for long periods of time, and I'm very proud of them. Our draw team also strategized together well, and we're looking to connect the three thirds on Wednesday.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

McDonald had her third straight multi-goal game.

It was her seventh multi-goal effort of the season.

McCullough faced 40 shots and turned aside 15. She finished with a .455 save percentage.

McCullough's previous career high in saves was nine, set against Clemson earlier this spring.

UP NEXT:

Longwood hosts High Point on Wednesday, April 12 at 6 p.m. Opening draw is set for 6 p.m.

#GoWood #HorsePower