Photo: Caroline MacLeod (#3) – Credit: Florida Tech Athletics
The Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team had not seen game action in 18 days prior to Sunday’s home contest against Lynn. The rest did the Panthers good as they powered past the Fighting Knights 13-9 on Senior Day.
Mollie Kaplan, Alexis Townsend, and Olivia Going all came back for their fifth year and today the program celebrated them before the game at Florida Tech Panther Stadium. They all played a big part in the win with Kaplan recording a game-high seven points. She had two goals and five assists, while Townsend five goals and an assist. Going did her part as well, scooping up four ground balls and causing three turnovers.
Townsend’s five goals on Sunday give her 97 for her career. She will have one more chance to hit the century mark on Wednesday when the Panthers close their season at home against Florida Southern.
Caroline MacLeod had a great day as well with four goals and an assist. She now has a career-high 12 goals this season in eight games.
Danielle Farinas was Lynn’s top point-getter as she finished with three goals and an assist. Sarah Shaffer had two goals.
Freshman goalie Emily Harris has grown so much in a short time and that growth continued on Sunday as she registered 10 saves in the win. She could have gotten rattled early in this one as Lynn jumped out to a 2-0 lead. She didn’t, as she knew her offense would go to work and they did just that.
MacLeod scored two consecutive goals for the Panthers to tie it before Lynn regained the two-goal lead. The Panthers blocked a shot at the other end and came streaking toward the goal with the clock winding down on the first quarter and Townsend fired it past Lynn goalie Annastasia Iliff as the buzzer sounded and the Panthers closed to within one 4-3, as the half expired.
MacLeod’s hat-trick goal came 43 seconds into the second half and tied the game at four. Lynn answered with two goals and MacLeod struck again 6:36 into the half to make it 6-5. Townsend would score just 1:59 later to tie things up.
The Panthers would take the lead just 56 seconds later on a beautiful goal by Kyla Vendemia as she took a feed in the crease from Kaplan and quickly threw it over her shoulder and pulled off a no-look behind the back goal, to give the Panthers a 7-6 advantage.
Lynn scored twice to take an 8-7 lead with 17:56 left. That didn’t last long as Townsend’s third of the day tied the game again. Kailee O’Brien joined the scoring with a man-up goal with 14:43 left to make it 9-8. Goals by Townsend and Kaplan would finish the Panthers’ four-goal run and extend their lead to 11-8.
Lynn would get one more goal before Kaplan and Townsend both scored late to make it 13-9.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Lynn Box Score
The Panthers (2-6, 1-4 SSC) had the edge in ground balls 17-15, while Lynn held a 28-26 advantage in shots. Draw controls played a part in this one and the Panthers were 12-9 to the good in that category. Lynn was 11-for-12 on clears while the Panthers were good on 12-of-15.
The season will conclude in that Wednesday tilt with Florida Southern at Florida Tech Panther Stadium. The opening draw is set for 7:30.