TAMPA, Fla. (Mar. 18, 2023) – Despite a team-high four goals from sophomore Leena Moussa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh), the No. 13/14 Mercy College women's lacrosse team dropped an 18-15 decision to No. 4/9 University of Tampa on Saturday night at Naimoli Stadium.
The Mavericks (3-4) have dropped two games in a row, while the Spartans (7-2) improve to 2-0 all-time against Mercy.
Moussa had four goals and senior Erin Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Adelphi University) had three goals and an assist. Graduate student Emma Rippon (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Iona University) had three goals and four draw controls and graduate student Jaclyn Grzelaczyk (Seaford, N.Y./New York Tech) had two goals and one assist. Junior Kelly Rosenfeld (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) had a goal, two assists, two ground balls and four draw controls. Graduate student Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) and freshman Maeghan Callow (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) also scored and graduate student Jessica Denike (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Central Connecticut State University) had a team-high two caused turnovers. Junior Olivia Maute (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) made nine saves to take the loss.
Tampa was led by Sarah Hinkle who had a game-high five goals. Alex Walling played 32:40 minutes in goal and made six saves to earn the win.
The Spartans scored the game's first four goals in just over five minutes to take a 4-0 lead with 9:50 left in the opening quarter. After a Mercy timeout, Moussa and Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk recorded back-to-back goals to make it 4-2. Sophi Wrisk answered with a goal to make it 5-2 before Callow found the back of the net to make it 5-3. Tampa followed with two straight goals to take a 7-3 lead with 1:25 on the clock. Jaclyn Grzelaczyk made it 7-4 but an Emma McLoughlin goal with 12 seconds on the clock gave the Spartans an 8-4 lead after the first quarter.
Rippon netted her first goal of the game at the 13:00 mark of the second quarter to make it 8-5. Back-to-back Tampa goals gave the hosts their largest lead of the game, 10-5, with 10:34 left in the half. Rippon, Shimborske and Jaclyn Grzelaczyk rattled off three straight goals to make it 10-8 with 6:36 on the clock. Gia Colombo and Rosenfeld traded goals to make it 11-9 with 4:52 remaining in the half. Following a Spartan goal that made it 12-9, Shimborske scored with two seconds on the clock following a Rosenfeld assist to cut Tampa's lead to 12-10 at halftime.
Moussa scored twice and Rippon added another goal to give Mercy their first lead of the game, 13-12, with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter. The Spartans scored the final four goals of the quarter to head into the fourth quarter up, 16-13.
Moussa opened the scoring in the fourth quarter at the 11:17 mark to cut the Spartans lead to two, 16-14. Tampa scored the next two goals to take an 18-14 lead with five minutes remaining. A late Shimborske goal would not be enough and the Spartans came away with the 18-15 win.
Tampa held a 36-27 edge in shots, a 28-14 edge in ground balls and a 24-13 edge in draw controls.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, March 25th when they host Roberts Wesleyan at 11 a.m.
