HARROGATE, TENN. – Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, and a chance at the SAC tournament coming up at the end of the year, the LMU women's lacrosse team took care of business this afternoon against Tusculum, as they dominated the second half to win 19-8. The win gives LMU their 10th win of the year, the second time in team history they have tallied double-digit victories in a year.
 
"I am very excited about the momentum this win created for us moving into the last two conference regular season games," commented head coach Alyssa Shaver. "This team has worked extremely hard this season and made tremendous progress. I love watching them play as a team and pick up team wins like we did today."
 
Tusculum opened the scoring with an early goal, but Avery Van Der Ziel scored two straight goals in a span of 30 seconds to give LMU the lead. The first goal was off a pass from Jaedyn Ryba and the second off a pass from her sister Ali. The Pioneers answered with another, but Avery once again answered with her third goal of the game, again off a pass from Ali. Sydnee Saksa followed that up with a goal off a pass from Jolee Davis, and then Sierra Landsman scored off a pass from Chandler Bell. Another Pioneer goal cut the lead to two, until Kelly Csenar tallied a goal off a pass from Avery and gave them a 6-3 lead at the end of 15 minutes of play.
 
Ali Van Der Ziel opened the scoring in the second quarter, followed quickly by a goal by Davis off a pass from Melanie Cascio. Tusculum recorded another goal for their first of the second period. That joy was short lived for them as Saksa tallied her second goal of the game to bring the lead back up to five. The Pioneers scored two straight goals following the Saksa goal. Ali Van Der Ziel put her second one past the goalkeeper to end the Tusculum run. The pioneers would score the last one of the quarter and went into the half down 10-7.
 
The second half belonged to the Lady Railsplitters, as they outscored TU 9-1 over the final 30 minutes of play. Avery Van Der Ziel, Ryba, and Rudi Lyles tallied the only three goals of the third quarter, as Avery and Ryba scored unassisted goals and Lyles scored off an assist from Melanie Cascio.
 
Breanna Booth opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with an unassisted goal and Saksa secured her hat trick off a pass from Chandler Bell. Tusculum ended the run with their only goal of the half. LMU ended the game on a 4-0 run, started by a man down goal from Deadre Jackson. Jamie Small followed that up with an unassisted goal, then Chandler Bell scored off a pass from Sophia Gardea. Ali Van Der Ziel ended the scoring for the game as she tallied a hat trick of her own with 88 seconds left in the game and giving the team an 11-point victory.
 
Twelve different Lady Railsplitters found the back of the net this afternoon led by Avery Van Der Ziel's four goals. Ali Van Der Ziel and Sydnee Saksa both recorded hat tricks. Chandler Bell, Deadre Jackson, Jolee Davis, Kelly Csenar, Jaedyn Ryba, Jamie Small, Rudi Lyles, Breanna Booth, and Sierra Landsman all tallied one goal. Melanie Cascio, Bell, and Ali Van Der Ziel dished out two assists each, while Davis, Ryba, Avery Van Der Ziel, Landsman, and Sophia Gardea all had one assist.
 
Keegan Gillman picked up the win in goal, while saving seven shots over 48 minutes of play, and Elle Miller saved three shots in 12 minutes in net. Ryba, Delaney Duck, Avery Van Der Ziel, Gillman, and Cascio all fielded multiple groundballs defensively.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Railsplitters head back on the road this Saturday for their final road trip of the season, as they head to North Carolina to face Lenoir-Rhyne. LMU returns home next Saturday for Senior Day against Newberry in the regular season finale.
 
How to Follow
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Lady Railsplitter lacrosse throughout the 2021-22 season.