The Basics
Final Score: Detroit 12, VCU 10
Records: Detroit 1-4, VCU 2-4
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Titan Field)
DETROIT (3/11/2016) -- Senior
Kylie Birney and freshman
Morgan Girardi each tallied hat tricks and the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team earned its first victory of the 2016 season on Friday afternoon, earning a 12-10 victory over visiting VCU at Titan Field.
The Titans (1-4) scored seven of the first eight goals during the contest and led by a 12-3 margin after scoring the first four goals of the second half. The Rams (2-4) clawed their way back during the second half, but Detroit held strong down the stretch for the win at home.
Girardi, the team leader in goals entering the game, notched her third hat trick of the season with three goals and one assists. Birney tallied her 14th career hat trick, scoring three goals in the second half for the Titans. Freshman
Lexie Kinmond added two goals and one assist, while sophomore
Kelsi Pritchard had two markers for Detroit.
Detroit built up a 7-1 lead in the first 17 minutes of the contest. Pritchard got the Titans on the board off a feed from Girardi, before Girardi scored on a free position shot After VCU tallied a goal, the Titans scored the next five, two by Kinmond, one from senior
Michaela Schwartz, one by Pritchard and the final from freshman
Kaitlyn Wandelt. Girardi scored just before the halftime break to put the Titans up 8-3.
The Titans came out offensively charged in the second half, scoring four goals in the first 10 minutes. Birney scored three of the four, the first on a free position shot. Girardi also scored off a free position chance during that stretch. Detroit had a 12-3 lead with 20:11 left in the game after Birney's third of the contest.
The Rams (2-4), a first-year program, gained the momentum in the second half and tallied seven consecutive markers to pull to within two goals, 12-10. VCU's last goal came with 5:00 left on the clock. After a Detroit timeout, senior
Ally Shrader won the draw control but was forced into a turnover.
Detroit sophomore
Emma Mucci made a key defensive play in the Rams' offensive zone, intercepting a pass to give Detroit possession with just 3:27 left. After VCU forced a Detroit turnover, the Rams had a turnover of their own as Shrader scooped up a ground ball and returned the ball to Detroit's offensive end. The Titans were efficient with their passes the rest of the way, effectively running out the clock in the remaining seconds of the contest.
Shrader led the Titans with four ground balls, while Wandelt and goalkeeper
Allison McDonough each finished with three ground balls. Shrader and Mucci each had two caused turnovers, while Wandelt led the team with three draw controls. Freshman
Alex McCafferty, making her first collegiate start, also corralled two ground balls for the Titans.
Detroit had the shot advantage in the game, 27-20. VCU led in draw controls, 13-11, while the Titans had the edge in ground balls, 20-17. UDM also was effective in clears for the contest, going 16-for-17, including 7-for-7 in the second half. Detroit was 5-for-12 on free position shots.
Up NextDetroit returns to Titan Field on Sunday for an 11 a.m. matinee against Delaware State.
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