The Basics
Final Score: Mercer 21, Detroit Mercy 11
Records: Detroit Mercy 3-6 (0-1 SoCon), Mercer 4-6 (1-0 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. (Five Star Stadium)

MACON, Ga. (3/29/2019) -- Junior midfielder Kaitlyn Wandelt scored four goals, surpassing 200 career points, and freshman Elise Harder added three goals, but the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team fell 21-11 at Mercer in its 2019 Southern Conference opener.

It was a rematch of two of the top teams in the SoCon from a year ago with the Titans earning a share of the SoCon regular-season crown and Mercer topping the Titans by just one goal in the semifinals, 18-17, en route to a SoCon tournament title on its home turf in 2018.

Senior attacker Lexie Kinmond added four points on two goals and two assists for the Titans (3-6, 0-1 SoCon) on Friday, while in net, senior goalkeeper Allison McDonough was credited with making 14 saves, tying a season-high. Senior midfielder Morgan Girardi and sophomore attacker Kamryn Corraro each added goals for the red, white and blue.

Wandelt became the fourth player in school history to surpass 200 career points and first since her teammate Kinmond did so last season, also against Mercer in the SoCon semifinals. With her four goals Friday, Wandelt has 158 goals in her Titan career to go along with 43 assists for 201 points in just 53 career games.

Detroit Mercy was out-shot in the game, 48-24, but also put 20-of-24 shots on net (83 percent). Detroit Mercy finished with 14 draw controls in the game, with a career-high eight of them from Corraro. The Titans had the edge in saves (14-9) in the contest, but the Bears were credited with 18 caused turnovers.

Girardi scored the first goal of the game, receiving a pass from Kinmond right in front of the net and scoring to make it 1-0 just three minutes in. Mercer scored the next four goals to take an early 4-1 lead. Kinmond then scored, ripping a shot past the keeper off a feed from Girardi. Wandelt followed with her first goal of the game, but Mercer led 7-3 midway through the first half.

Harder scored three goals in the second part of the first half, tallying her second career hat trick in a span of 10 minutes in the tail-end of the frame and Detroit Mercy closed the first half on a 3-0 run as the Titans trailed at the halftime break, 11-8. Wandelt scored the final goal of the half with 1:58 left after Harder had scored two-straight in the 3-0 run in the final six minutes of the half.

The Bears opened the second half with a goal, but Wandelt answered, scoring her third of the game and reaching the 200-point milestone with her that marker at the 23:14 mark. Mercer then went on an 8-1 run, however, to take command of the game. Wandelt added another goal, but the Bears out-scored the Titans in the second half, 10-3.

Detroit Mercy went 14-for-20 on clears in the game and 3-for-5 on free-position shots. Ten cards were issued in the game, while both teams were whistled for 18 fouls.

Harder and sophomore defender Sarah Lucas each had two caused turnovers for the Titans. As a team, Detroit Mercy had 10 CT. Girardi and senior defender Alex McCafferty were both credited with two ground balls in the contest. In addition to Corraro's eight draw controls, sophomore Kristina Ellis had three DC for Detroit Mercy.

Wandelt scored on 2-of-3 free-position shots, while Kinmond scored on her lone FP opportunity. Harder put all five shots on goal, scoring on three of them. Freshmen Emily Beazley and Jess Turner each notched one caused turnover and one ground ball, as eight Titans had caused turnovers in the game.
 

With her third goal of the game at the 23:14 mark of the second half at Mercer, junior midfielder Kaitlyn Wandelt is the fourth player in school history with 2⃣0⃣0⃣ career points! 🙌

Wandelt has 157 goals and 43 assists in 53 career games! 👀 pic.twitter.com/GoX3FYNsWa

— Detroit Mercy WLAX (@DetroitWL) March 29, 2019

Titan News & Notes
• Wandelt has 158 goals and 43 assists (201 points) in 53 career games and is the fourth player in school history to reach 200 career points.
• Only Emily Boissonneault (272 career points), Kinmond (245 points) and Anna Eidem (234 points) have more in Titan history.
• Kinmond notched her eighth game out of nine of three or more points in 2019; She has 42 points on the season (21 goals, 21 assists).
• Harder tallied her second hat trick of her Titan career, scoring three goals in the first half; She also had a hat trick against Butler and has 15 goals this season.
• Wandelt reached 20 goals for the third time in her Detroit Mercy career.
• McDonough also had 14 saves earlier this season at Duquesne; She has 91 saves on the season and nine or more saves in eight of nine games this season.
• Lucas had her fourth multiple caused turnover game of the season and has 11 total CT in 2019, tied for second on the team with Girardi.
• It was the seventh meeting all-time between the two programs (Mercer leads, 4-3).

Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the lacrosse field Sunday, facing old ASUN rival Kennesaw State in a noon contest from Kennesaw, Ga. The non-conference game may be seen live from Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the Owls' Facebook page.