CINCINNATI (2/19/2023) -- Freshman Ysa Pakowski's first collegiate goal was a memorable one as the rookie got the game-winning marker in the fourth quarter as the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team downed Jesuit-rival Xavier, 11-10, on Sunday.

Senior Annie Gilbert led the way with a team-high three goals and four points. Junior Cat Kopchia had two goals and three points and redshirt freshman Taylor Rocha and freshman Alyssa Jarvis had two goals apiece.

Sophomore Meredith Leavell made 11 saves and picked up a career-best six ground balls in net for the win. Senior Caitlin O'Brien had a career-best three caused turnovers and four ground balls and sophomore Maddy Camm pulled down a career-best five draw controls.

The game was tied at 9-9 heading into the fourth when Rocha beat the keeper for her second strike of the game just 45 seconds into the final period. Xavier (0-2) would tie it at 10-10, but then a foul set up Pakowski's free-position attempt and she buried it in the cage for the 11-10 advantage with 8:39 remaining.

The defense did the rest as it kept Xavier off the scoreboard and limited their possessions with three caused turnovers, the final one by junior Kiah Nuessgen with under 30 seconds left. 

Senior Mariana Butler finished with two assists and a goal and Camm and sophomore Leah Bodnar each had a helper. Graduate senior Jess Turner had two caused turnovers and two ground balls and Nuessgen finished with three GB's. 

Leavell made four early saves and Gilbert jump-started a 7-0 run as her free-position marker got the Titans (1-1) on the board and cut Xavier's lead in half, 2-1, at the eight-minute mark. Nearly a minute later, sophomore Leah Bodnar bed Jarvis and she scored her first goal to knot it at 2-2.

Butler and Jarvis went back-to-back with goals for a 4-2 advantage at the 4:16 mark, and Gilbert added another off a Butler assist for a 5-2 advantage with 3:25 left. Butler was the playmaker again as she found Kopchia with 20 ticks left for a 6-2 lead after one and the lead swelled to 7-2 as Gilbert scored with the main down early in the second.

Xavier came back to tie the game at 7-7, but Rocha found the back of the net with 2:40 remaining and it was an 8-7 lead at the break. Kopchia's second made it 9-7 early in the third, but the Musketeers would tie it again at 9-9 after three.

The Titans outshot Xavier, 30-27, and forced 30 turnovers. UDM was 27-of-32 on clears and 2-of-3 in free-position shots. 

Detroit Mercy will now get ready for a match-up with Butler next Sunday, Feb. 26, scheduled for Noon indoors at Country Day High School.

Game Notes:

• The Titans are now 2-13 all-time in road openers, breaking a 13-game slide
• Leavell has now posted double-digit saves in four of her 12 games, with a career-high 12 at Youngstown State last year
• Gilbert's career-high in goals is five against Akron last year 
• Turner tied her career-high for the fifth time with two ground balls and two caused turnovers
• Camm had just three draw controls coming into the game

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