The 17th-ranked Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team made their trip to Rome Georgia well worth it on Monday, beating the Shorter Hawks 23-8 in the Panthers’ final non-conference game of the season. The win moves Tech to 7-0 this season, while Shorter falls to 2-8.
Kayla Minton led the Panthers with five goals and an assist, giving her 26 goals for the season. Jennifer Boyle had four goals and an assist in this contest, including her 20th of the season. Carolie MacLeod, Karly Liebendorfer, Charlotte Hardie, and Carly Niro had two goals each. The Panthers had six players score a single goal including sophomores Maggie Reed and Elizabeth Christ both tallying their first of the season.
Maria Hansen scored half of the Hawk’s goals with Olivia Contento scoring twice.
Makala McKinney went the distance in net for Shorter, making 16 saves. Cailey Canessa started for Florida Tech, playing about a quarter and a half.
Minton started the scoring for the Panthers and had her second of the day with 6:06 left in the quarter to put the Panthers up 3-2. The teams traded goals before Contento’s second goal of the day tied things at four. Liebendorfer scored with 1:43 left and Hardie got one past McKinney with less than one second left, putting the Panthers up 6-4 at the end of 15 minutes.
Goals by Niro and Hurt came in the first 1:34 of the second quarter, before Minton’s hat trick goal made it 9-4 with 10:50 left in the half. MacLeod and Hardie scored 1:07 apart before Boyle scored twice in 10 seconds, giving the Panthers a 13-4 lead with 8:09 left in the half, and giving Boyle her hat trick.
At that point, the Panthers had scored nine straight goals, spanning the end of the first quarter and the first half of the second.
Kellen Lucchesi then took over in goal for Canessa, who made two saves during her time in net and was pulled just because the score had ballooned the way it did. Hansen broke up the Panthers’ run to make it 13-5 with 6:20 left in the half.
MacLeod and Niro got Tech going again, each scoring their second goal of the game to make it 15-5, before Hansen ended the half with her second for Shorter, making it 15-6 at the half.
Florida Tech scored all six goals in the third quarter. Minton scored two of the first three with Rachel Johnson’s tally sandwiched in between, putting the Panthers up 18-6. Boyle followed that up with her fourth of the day before Kailee O’Brien got into the act with her sixth of the season and the Panthers’ 20th of the game. Liebendorfer capped the third quarter with her second of the day on an assist from Madison Savje with eight seconds left, giving the Panthers a 21-6 lead at the end of three.
Emily Harris entered the game to start the fourth quarter, taking over for Lucchesi, who made four saves.
Kasia Lorenc scored 1:56 into the fourth, her second goal of the season, giving the Panthers a 22-6 lead. Olivia Masters and Hansen each scored for Shorter before Christ scored with 56 seconds left, putting an end to the Panthers’ big day that saw them fall one goal short of tying the program record for goals in a single game.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Shorter Box Score
The Panthers were credited with 46 shots in the game to Shorter’s 17. The Hawks turned the ball over 16 times, to the Panthers eight. The Panthers were 10-of-11 ob n clears, while Shorter finished 10-of-15. Florida Tech also held a 20-13 advantage in ground balls.
Florida Tech returns home Saturday for their conference opener against #12 Embry-Riddle. The opening draw is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Florida Tech Panther Stadium.