#5 Mocs Top #7 Lions on the Road

ST. LEO, Fla. – No. 5 Florida Southern women's lacrosse improved to 2-0 on the week after defeating No. 7 Saint Leo at University Turf Stadium Saturday afternoon, 18-10.
 
On the season, the Moccasins move to 13-1 overall and 3-1 in Sunshine State Conference play while the Lions fall to 10-4 and 1-3 in league action.
 
Rylie Rittberg moved to 13-1 on the season in goal after playing the opening 45 minutes, tallying five saves. Chloe Webber and Rebekah Bargeron each appeared in goal, registering one save in the win.
 
Maria Reeves stomped the Sunshine State Conference career record-holder, Maria Palomba, in draw controls 17 to three, where the Mocs won 23 to the Lions' eight. The 17 draw controls marks Reeves' fifth double-digit draw day of the season to help propel the offense.
 
Hannah Hale paced the team with five points on four goals and one assist while three Mocs registered three points in the win. Jenna Vetter went for three goals while both Abby McFerren and Hanna Watson tallied two goals and one assist. Danielle Mojsej found the back of the goal twice along with Hannah Guerin, while Giana Murphy, Kassidy Miller, and Brayden Cannelli each scored a goal.
 
Audrey Cannelli led Florida Southern in caused turnovers with three, ahead of Charlie Laye's two and a group of Mocs that had one. Laye had a game-high six groundballs.
 
Saint Leo received four goals from Maria Palomba to lead the way, with Natalie Jones registering two. Jana Nuss, Holly Hill, Sophia Wood, and Ava Valenti each tacked one on.
 
The Lions claimed the first period 3-2, but the Mocs' 7-2 second and 6-3 third propelled Florida Southern ahead as the Mocs won the final period 3-2 for the 18-10 road win, improving to 16-0 all-time against the Lions.
 
Saint Leo got on the board first with a pair of goals from Maria Palomba and Natalie Jones before Hannah Hale and Abby McFerren tied it with 6:25 to play, 2-2. Jones scored her second of the game with 3:59 to play in the first as the quarter ended in favor of the Lions, 3-2.
 
Danielle Mojsej pulled the game even with her first of the day at 11:36 before Nuss found Ava Valenti for a brief 4-3 lead for the Lions. Giana Murphy found Jenna Vetter for the equalizer 27 seconds later before Murphy scored for the go-ahead goal. Hale scored back-to-back goals as the Mocs ran out to a 7-4 lead. After Saint Leo's Holly Hill scored to make it 7-5, the Mocs closed the quarter with goals from Brayden Cannelli and McFerren for a 9-5 halftime lead.
 
Florida Southern ripped off five straight from Watson, Vetter (2), Guerin, and Miller to push out to a 14-5 advantage. Saint Leo scored back-to-back-to-back goals to cut it to 14-8, but Mojsej ended the third quarter with a goal at the 2:37 mark, 15-8.
 
The Hannah double take allowed Florida Southern to lead by nine, 17-8, as Hannah Guerin and Hannah Hale scored back-to-back goals. Nuss once again scored for the Lions before Palomba scored her fourth at 9:21, bringing the game to within seven, 17-10. Watson scored her second goal of the game, which was the final goal of the game at 3:02 in the fourth, as the game ended in favor of the Moccasins, 18-10.
 
No. 5 Florida Southern returns home for the next two games as the Moccasins host No. 4 Embry-Riddle on Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. before hosting No. 15 Rollins on Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m.
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