Women’s lacrosse headed down to a rainy Gainesville, Florida to face South Carolina’s Winthrop University. After a 75 minute weather delay, Penn State came out on top 16-6. They ended the game on an unanswered seven goal run.

How It Happened

Winthrop netted the first of the game less than three minutes into the first half. Madison Carter responded a minute later with a goal from a Steph Lazo assist to make it an even game. Kelly Daggett won the draw for the Nittany Lions where Steph Lazo fired it to the back of the net off of a fast break 13 seconds after Carter’s goal making the score 2-1 as she collected her 60^th point of the season. With 21:54 left in the half, Madison Cyr notched her first of the game that would spark a Winthrop timeout. Out of the timeout Winthrop tallied its second of the game with 20:23 left to play. After the ball spent some time in Winthrop’s offensive zone, Kayla Brisolari came up huge with an interception that would lead to another Cyr goal with 17:59 left in the first. Winthrop closed the gap by collecting another goal with 15:01 left in the half making the score 4-3. Jenna Mosketti notched her first of the game a minute later off of a rebound shot raising Penn State’s lead 5-3. Katie O’Donnell collected her first from a Lazo assist bringing the score 6-3 with 11:51 left in the first. After a Penn State timeout, Winthrop found net and decreased the deficit 6-4. The Nittany Lions pulled ahead once again with an eight-meter shot from Carter. O’Donnell followed less than a minute later to make it a 8-4 game. With 3:51 left in the first half, Cyr collected a hat trick to make the lead 9-4. Winthrop was able to sneak one in during the last minute of the half making the closing half score 9-5.

Less than a minute into the second half Winthrop notched one off a free-position making the score 9-6. With 23:15 left to play there was a suspension of play due to dangerous weather in the area. When play finally resumed 75 minutes later, however, time is stopped again when a Winthrop player goes down and has to get carted off.

Maggie Gallagher gets her first of the game with 21:13 left to play making Penn State lead 10-6. After a tough stalemate for about five minutes, the Madisons connect as Carter collects a hat trick from a Cyr assist on an 8-meter attempt making the score 11-6. Lazo finds the back of the net again with 13:03 left to play and increases the lead 12-6. O’Donnell adds to Penn State’s fourth unanswered goal and snags a hat trick finding the back of the net from a Lazo assist making it a 13-6 game with 11:59 left to play. With 9:03 left to play Lazo joins the three other Nittany Lions with a hat trick and makes the score 14-6. Lazo would find the back of the net with a play-advantage after Winthrop is charged with a yellow card. The Madison connection strikes again for the last goal of the game with 2:43 left making it 16-6 from a Cyr to Carter movement. With just over two minutes left to play, Winthrop’s bench was yellow carded giving Penn State the player-up advantage to run out the clock.

Player Of The Game

Joining Cyr in the over 60 points in the season club is now Steph Lazo. Her offensive threat definitely showed up today with four goals and three assists, contributing to almost half of the goals scored by Penn State. The seven points matched her career-high of seven points in a game.

What’s Next

Penn State will stay in Florida as the face No. 2 Florida in the second round of the tournament. Faceoff is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.