MAC Women’s Lacrosse Results From 3/23 and 3/27
Akron 16, Presbyterian College 2
Robert Morris 12, Central Michigan 7
 
Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
 
Akron 16, Presbyterian College 2
Box Score
 
 
AKRON, Ohio - On the strength of a program-record seven-goal performance from redshirt freshmen Alexis Kiefer (West Chicago, Ill.), the University of Akron women's lacrosse team registered a 16-2 non-conference triumph past Presbyterian College (1-3) on Tuesday, March 23 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.
 
Sparked by a 34-12 advantage in shots, including a 24-8 margin in shots on goal, the Zips (4-4) improved their home ledger to 3-1 on the campaign with the victory.
 
Kiefer established a program-record mark for goals in a match with seven, breaking her own record total of six set versus Delaware State on March 9, 2021.
 
Seven different Akron players found the back of the net in the match. Kiefer's seven goals was followed by freshmen Noelle Boyd (Murrysville, Pa.) and redshirt junior Anna Dennison (Fallston, Md.), who tallied three and two goals, respectively. Adding one goal apiece was redshirt freshman Sarah Pattison (Cincinnati, Ohio), redshirt sophomore Kaylee Riggins (Zionsville, Ind.) and freshmen Anjali Silverheels (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Madeline Shewbridge (Cincinnati, Ohio). The Blue Hose garnered goals from Sarah Marshall and Kelly Hyman.
 
Notching assists from the Zips were redshirt freshman Kaija Kunttu (Zionsville, Ind.) and Shewbridge.
 
Redshirt freshman GK Ashley Lapp (Missouri City, Texas) registered six saves in net for Akron, and posted a second-half shutout of Presbyterian. Heidi Shafer collected eight stops in net for the Blue Hose.
 
Shewbridge opened the scoring in the tilt for the Zips finding the back of the net in the first minute (0:49).
 
After Presbyterian squared the match at one at the 1:25 mark, Akron netted four unanswered tallies from Boyd (3:29), Dennison (5:50), Kiefer (9:52) and Riggins (11:00) to assume a 5-1 lead with 19 minutes remaining in the half.
 
The Blue Hose netted a goal at the 20:30 mark, before the Zips closed the initial stanza with scores from Kiefer (15:14, 16:00) and Silverheels (16:37) to enter the intermission leading 8-2. Akron recorded a 19-9 edge in first-half shots.
 
The Zips opened the second half with two goals apiece from Boyd and Kiefer in the first 10 minutes of the period to extend their lead to 12-2 following a tally from Kiefer in the eighth minute (7:08).
 
Akron its scoring efforts with goals from Kiefer (13:29, 25:30) and Dennison (15:22), along with the first goal of the year from Pattison in the 24th minute (23:20).
 
The Zips are slated to resume Mid-American Conference play hosting Detroit in a 2 p.m. showdown at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on Saturday, March 27.
 
AKRON GOALS:
Shewbridge (29:11-1st) (unassisted), Boyd (26:31-1st) (unassisted), Dennison (24:10-1st) (unassisted), Kiefer (20:08-1st) (unassisted), Riggins (19:00-1st) (unassisted), Kiefer (4:46-1st) (unassisted), Kiefer (4:00-1st) (unassisted), Silverheels (3:23) (free position shot), Boyd (29:09-2nd) (unassisted), Kiefer (28:13-2nd) (unassisted), Boyd (26:21-2nd) (unassisted), Kiefer (22:52-2nd) (unassisted), Kiefer (16:31-2nd) (unassisted), Dennison (14:38-2nd) (Kunttu), Pattison (6:40-2nd) (Shewbridge), Kiefer (4:30-2nd) (free position shot)
 
 
Robert Morris 12, Central Michigan 7
Box Score


MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team improved to 3-0 in MAC play and 7-2 on the season with a 12-7 win over Central Michigan Saturday afternoon. 
Graduates Melanie Gandy and Mackenzie Gandy each scored four goals while senior Kelley Flynn added a hat trick as RMU takes over first place overall in the MAC standings. 

"Our kids battled today," head coach Katrina Silva said.  "They played with passion, they demonstrate love for each other and it's really a great group of women to work with. We were down a little bit in our midfield unit going into today, but there was a lot of different people that stepped up today which was big for us and obviously great to see." 

The Colonials enjoyed a three-goal cushion after thirty minutes thanks in large part to a first-half hat trick from Melanie Gandy. 
After somewhat of a slow start for RMU, the Chippewas managed to strike first just under seven minutes in, going up 1-0 after Maggie Diebold weaved her way through the RMU defense in transition to give CMU an early lead.  

They managed to hold onto the lead for nearly six minutes despite quality looks from  Kelsey Nelson and Colleen Tifft until Mackenzie Gandy finally got RMU on the board at 18:28, beating CMU keeper Sierra Savage for her team-leading 22nd of the season and touching off a 4-0 run for the Colonials. 

Jordan Anderson won the ensuing draw control and shortly thereafter Gianna Anthony put the Colonials ahead 2-1, capping off a bout of extended pressure for the RMU attack.

An almost identical sequence followed Anthony's goal, as Anderson again won the draw and the Colonials quickly worked their way downfield before Melanie Gandy potted her first of the day, giving RMU its third goal in 1:47. 

"She was huge, those draws were such a big momentum shift for us," Silva said.  "Our midfield unit in particular was really challenged today, but they stepped up when we needed them to.  You saw a lot of people sort of step up and make great plays all-around."  

Gandy picked up her second to make it four goals in 2:32 before CMU was finally able to stop the bleeding, cutting it back to a 4-2 game courtesy of Courtney Burke. 

Following more pressure, Melanie finally completed the hat trick near the 10-minute mark of the first  before a second from Mackenzie gave the twins five of RMU's six first-half goals and the lead after 30 minutes.

The Chippewas showcased some quick-strike ability of their own, cutting it down to just one goal for RMU after Tyra Pryce scored twice in the opening two minutes of the second, setting up a back-and-forth second half as RMU attempted to keep a CMU comeback at bay. 

After Thalia Zolis was denied by Savage, a ground ball from Melanie Gandy allowed RMU to maintain posession before the graduate student beat the CMU keeper for a fourth time to make it 7-5. 

CMU continued to hang around, cutting it back to 7-6 at 23:01, however Kelley Flynn scored her first of the day after a nice save from Katelyn Miller in net led to a quick transition and a clear for the Colonials soon after.

RMU would close things out on a 5-1 run as Flynn and Mackenzie Gandy each scored twice more to keep RMU undefeated in conference place. 

Anderson finished with ten draw controls on the afternoon, tying a career-high, while Madison Burke and Kelly Colegrove each scooped five ground balls and Colegrove caused three turnovers.