WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Senior Meghenn Jackson (Arnold, Md./Broadneck/Anne Arundel C.C.) broke Lycoming College's school record for points in a season, posting six goals and two assists to lead the women's lacrosse team to a 19-8 MAC Commonwealth win over Hood College on Saturday afternoon, April 16, at Shangraw Athletic Complex.
Jackson got the scoring started for the Warriors (11-2 overall, 3-2 MAC Commonwealth) just 22 seconds into the game. After both teams exchanged a goal, Jackson scored again to break the program's single season points record previously set by Brenda MacPhail in 2000 (92 points). Her eight points in the game leaves her just one shy of becoming the first player in school history to post 100 in a season, while her 7.62 points per game still leads the NCAA.
With 69 goals, Jackson is tied for fourth in school history, just 11 from the school record of 80 set by Grace Gargiulo in 2011. Her 30 assists are also fourth in school history, 10 from the record of 40 set by Heather Suit in 2007.
Freshman Kelly McGinniss (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) also finished with six goals, an assist and 10 draw controls, as she broke the school's single-season record of 88 set by Brooke Strausser in 2013, finishing the game with 91 and a MAC Commonwealth-best 7.00 per game.
Sophomore Jordan Lazarich (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) and freshman Thamina Peti (York, Pa./West York Area) both recorded hat tricks with Lazarich also contributing two assists. Senior Kelsey Harshman (Hamilton Square, N.J./Steinert) and junior Leanne Shaw (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) both recorded two assists as well with Shaw scoring once.
Lazarich became the ninth player in school history to notch 75 points in a season and the 12th to score 50 goals during the game, as she is now seventh in school history with 76 points, and tied for seventh with 26 assists.
After Jade Locklear scored her second goal of the game to get the game Hood to within a goal with 24:35 left in the first half to make it 3-2, the Warriors had five different players score five unanswered goals to take an 8-2 lead.
After Locklear scored again, it took Jackson just 15 seconds to answer and then another nine seconds to score again as Lycoming took a 10-3 lead. After Shay Braithwaite scored with 6:43 remaining in the half for Hood, the Warriors scored four goals to close the half, three by McGinniss and one by Peti, to take a 14-4 halftime lead.
The Warriors outshot the Blazers 30-7 in the first half and committed just six turnovers.
Christina Murphy opened the scoring just 47 seconds into the second half for Hood, but the Warriors went on to score five of the next seven goals to take a 19-7 lead, with the fifth goal coming from Lazarich to give her 50 on the season. Murphy scored again for the Blazers with 3:13 remaining to yield the final margin.
Shaw led the team with five ground balls. Jackson and Peti both picked up four ground balls and led the defense with two caused turnovers.
As a team, the Warriors outshot the Blazers, 40-19, and held advantages in ground balls (25-15), draw controls (19-10) and were successful on 10-of-13 clear attempts while Hood was 10-for-15.
Locklear led the way for the Blazers, as she scored four goals and Murphy and Braithwaite both scored twice. Lauren Couch led the Blazers with a game-high six ground balls and four caused turnovers. Locklear and Taylor McGaughey led the Blazers with four draw controls each.
Junior Nicole Gerling (Millstone Township, N.J./Allentown) (11-1) got the win for the Warriors as she made two saves in the first half. Freshman Megan Bozarth (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) started the second half and made one save and was relieved by junior Casey Martindale (Davidsonville, Md./Archbishop Spalding) after 15:19. Martindale finished the game in net and made four saves. Couch (4-10) took the loss for the Blazers, as she made 14 saves.
The Warriors return to the field on Wednesday, April 20, when they host conference-leading Lebanon Valley at 4 p.m. at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.?
