Story Courtesy of Youngstown State Athletic Communications
Pittsburgh, Pa. - A fourth-quarter rally lifted the Youngstown State women's lacrosse program to its second consecutive win on Wednesday afternoon over Duquesne at Rooney Field.
The Penguins move to 3-10 overall, while Duquesne falls to 1-11 with the loss.
Claire Baenziger, Ally Garrett, and Ava Kreutzer spearheaded the attack, combining for 11 of YSU's 13 goals. Baenziger and Garrett led the way with four goals each, while Kreutzer netted a hat trick with three goals.
Garrett's four-goal performance ties her career-high and marks the first time she has reached that total since the 2024 season.
Five different Penguins dished out one assist each.
Defensively, multiple 'Guins stood out. Mackenzie Flannigan caused a team-high three turnovers while also scooping two ground balls, while Skylar Pigrom corralled a team-high three ground balls while also causing one turnover.
The first quarter has been a kryptonite of the Penguins at times this season, and that was the case today as Duquesne jumped out to a 5-1 advantage within the first 13 minutes of action. Claire Baneizger scored the two first quarter goals for YSU, with her first coming at the 7:45 mark, and her second coming with just 16 seconds remaining on the clock, bringing the lead down to three at the end of the first.
Ally Garrett brought the 'Guin within two as she fired a goal off a feed from Baenziger with YSU being a player-up, making the score 5-3 with 11:18 remaining in the second quarter. It was a defensive battle for much of the quarter after that attack, with neither team scoring for almost 10 minutes of action, before the Dukes put an end to the drought with 1:42 left in the second quarter, extending their lead to 6-3. Ava Kreutzer had the final say in the half, netting a goal off a pass from Maya Griffin to bring the deficit back down to two heading into halftime.
The third quarter was one of runs for each side. YSU began the quarter with a three-goal spurt within the first 3:30, the first coming from Baenziger and the next two from Kreutzer to give YSU its first lead of the game at 7-6 with 11:43 left in the third. Duquesne followed with a run of their own, scoring four-straight goals and holding YSU scoreless for the remainder of the quarter as they carried a 10-7 lead into the final quarter.
The Penguins showed grit in the fourth quarter and clawed their way back. Claire Baenziger netted her fourth goal off a pass from Ally Garrett to open the fourth quarter, scoring just 55 seconds into the period, and that sparked YSU in a big way. Ally Garrett scored with 9:40 left, Sami Drew tied the game at the 5:41 mark, Garrett gave YSU the lead just over one minute later, and Molly Brooks capped off a five-goal run for YSU with 3:14 left, springboarding the 'Guins to a 12-10 advantage. Duquesne made things interesting late as they cut the deficit in half with just 58 seconds remaining, before Ally Garrett put the cherry on top with one second left, catapulting YSU to a 13-11 victory on the road.
YSU took very good care of the ball, only turning it over 14 times, compared to 20 for the Dukes. The Penguins were also an efficient 4-for-6 on free-position attempts, while Duquesne was 3-for-8.
YSU will return to action this Saturday when they host Central Michigan at Farmers National Bank Field. The opening draw is scheduled for noon.
