WEST CHESTER Pa. (Feb. 24, 2024) – Despite a game-high-tying five points from junior Leena Moussa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh), the No. 17/18 Mercy University women's lacrosse team opened their 2024 season with a 14-8 loss at 2023 National Runner-Up No. 1/3 West Chester University on Saturday afternoon at Vonnie Gros Field.
The Mavericks (0-1) fall in their season opener for the first time since 2012, while the Golden Rams (2-0) improve to 3-0 all-time against Mercy.
Mercy was led by Moussa who had a game-high-tying five points on a team-high three goals with two assists. Senior Kelly Rosenfeld (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and sophomore Andrea Mott (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) both had a goal, and an assist and junior Lindsey Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) had a goal and a game-high six ground balls to go along with three caused turnovers and three draw controls. Shimborske recorded her 100th career ground ball and now has 105 for her career. She becomes the eighth Maverick in program history to record 100 career ground balls. Junior Leah Hansen (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields) and graduate student Sydney Corley (Coram, N.Y./Newfield) also scored, and sophomore Maeghan Callow (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) had two assists. Senior Christina Lopreato (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) had a game-high four caused turnovers and five draw controls with two ground balls and senior Olivia Maute (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) played the first half in goal with three saves and five goals allowed to take the loss. Maute recorded her 100th career save and now has 101 for her career. She becomes the seventh goalie in program history to record 100 career saves. Sophomore Olivia LaMonica (Jefferson Township, N.J./Jefferson Township) made five saves in the second half.
West Chester was led by Hannah Stanislawczyk who had a game-high four goals with one assist. Jessica Gorr made a game-high nine saves to earn the win.
The game was a defensive battle early with neither team scoring until the 8:03 mark of the first quarter when Piper Hammond scored on a free position shot to give West Chester a 1-0 lead. The Golden Rams headed into the second quarter with a 1-0 lead with Gorr making six saves in the opening quarter to keep Mercy scoreless.
Corley tied the game at 1-1 at the 12:10 mark of the second quarter, following an assist from Moussa. Stanislawczyk gave West Chester the lead back at 2-1 with 10:33 left in the half. Mercy did not back down, and Moussa followed with her first goal of the season to even the score again at 2-2 with 9:48 on the clock. Julia Littlewood and Rosenfeld traded goals to bring the score to 3-3 with 6:35 remaining in the half. Stanislawczyk scored two straight goals to end the half, giving West Chester a 5-3 lead at halftime.
Moussa got the Mavericks to within one, 5-4, at the 12:36 mark of the third quarter, following her second goal of the game after a Mott assist. A Jess Harrison goal with 10:50 on the clock made it 6-4 before Shimborske found the back of the net from Callow to cut the Golden Rams lead to one, 6-5, with 6:02 left in the third quarter. West Chester recorded back-to-back goals to increase their lead to three, 8-5. Moussa netted her third goal of the game with 38 seconds left in the quarter, off an assist from Callow, to send the Mavericks into the fourth quarter down just two, 8-6.
West Chester scored the first five goals of the fourth quarter to take a 13-6 lead with 7:43 remaining. Hansen and Mott netted consecutive goals to make it 13-8 with 1:14 left. Littlewood scored the final goal of the game with 32 seconds left, giving the Golden Rams the 14-8 win.
West Chester held a 30-19 edge in shots, a 21-18 edge in ground balls and a 16-9 edge in draw controls.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, February 28th when they host New Haven in their home opener at 3 p.m.
