The Basics
Final Score: Detroit 13, Central Michigan 8
Records: Detroit 5-4 (1-0 A-Sun), Central Michigan 3-5 (0-1 A-Sun)
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Titan Field)
DETROIT (3/30/2016) -- In its Atlantic Sun opener Wednesday, the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team scored seven unanswered goals and held off a late Central Michigan flurry to triumph 13-8 over the Chippewas at Titan Field.
With the win, Detroit set a school record with its fifth-straight victory, four of which have come at home. The Titans improved to 5-4 overall this season and 1-0 in the Atlantic Sun schedule. The game was the first meeting between the two programs. CMU is in its inaugural lacrosse season.
Detroit freshman
Kaitlyn Wandelt continued her impressive rookie season, tying her season-high with five goals, while adding six draw controls, four caused turnovers and four ground balls. She scored four goals in the first half, including three straight in a 7-0 UDM run.
Following Detroit's seven-straight goals, the Titans held a 9-3 lead early in the second half. The final goal in that stretch came off the stick of senior midfielder
Kylie Birney, who had two goals on the afternoon and now has 99 career markers.
Central Michigan came back with two goals to cut the deficit to 9-5, but Detroit answered with two-straight goals, both off free-position opportunities. Freshman
Lexie Kinmond tallied her second of the game to make it 10-5 before Wandelt scored her fifth marker of the contest just seconds later to give UDM an 11-5 advantage with 17:10 left.
The Chippewas would not go down without a fight in their first conference game, scoring the next three goals, but Detroit controlled the ball for the majority of the final nine minutes of the game. Sophomore
Emma Mucci won a key draw control and with under two minutes left and with CMU controlling the ball, Wandelt caused her fourth turnover of the contest, which led to a
Morgan Girardi goal with just 1:23 remaining.
Girardi tallied a hat trick with three goals, while also adding one assist for four points. Kinmond had three points on one goal and two assists. Sophomores
Kelsi Pritchard and
Brianna Plester also added goals for Detroit.
Senior defender
Ally Shrader had two draw controls and two ground balls, while Birney also added two ground balls.
Detroit went 8-for-11 on free position attempts, while allowing just one free position attempt by Central Michigan, which went 0-for-1. The Titans were also 10-of-12 on clears and held the shot advantage in the contest, 30-13. Detroit forced CMU into 19 turnovers.
The Titans have out-scored their opponents 73-26 in the five-game win streak. Detroit went 5-2 in the month of March and improved to 4-2 at home this season. UDM's eight free-position goals on Wednesday were a season-high.
Up Next
Detroit returns to the road for its next two games, visiting Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Md. for a Sunday, April 3 non-conference match-up. The Titans return to Atlantic Sun play on Sunday, April 10 with a trip to Furman in Greenville, S.C.
