No Mercy as Spartans Stun Mavericks 10-9

TAMPA, Fla. – In dramatic, come-from-behind fashion, the University of Tampa women's lacrosse team ousted Mercy College in a close 10-9 contest on Tuesday evening at the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex.

Spartan leading-scorer Amanda Voges was an offensive juggernaut for the home team, netting four goals, including the game-winner with just 3:23 remaining in regulation. 

Tampa improves to 3-7 on the year while the Mavericks continue their season 5-2.

Senior Caili Guilday totaled a season-high 15 saves for UT, scooping up five ground balls while defender Liz Kramer dominated in the starting circle, notching a career-high six draw controls.  Freshman Abby Coccagna totaled four ground balls, two caused turnovers and two draw controls as the Spartan defenders limited the Mavericks to just three goals in the second half.

Aiding Voges on offense were sophomores Natalie Carraway and Amanda Rom, as the duo each totaled three points with a pair of goals and an assist apiece.

Mercy put a pair of goals on the board early in the opening stanza, as Hunter Isnardi and Emily Jehle scored back-to-back in the first few minutes.  Junior Voges answered with a pair of goals to her credit to even the contest at 2-2.

The Mavericks would regain the lead behind a pair of scores from Alexa Haines sandwiched around a goal form Grace Davidson to pick up a 5-2 lead with five minutes remaining in the opening.

At the 2:39 minute mark, sophomore Rom netted a goal thanks to an assist from fellow sophomore Madison Ewing.  Mercy's Jehle scored a man-down goal with 26 seconds left in the half as UT looked at a 6-3 deficit.  Sophomore Carraway muscled in a goal with three seconds to shrink the Maverick advantage to 6-4 as the period ended.

Goalkeeper Guilday stopped nine shots while picking up five ground balls in the first half to limit Mercy to six goals.

The second half began just as the first with Isnardi scoring a goal in the opening minutes of play on a successful free position shot.  Freshman Allie Popelar and Carraway answered with their own converted free position attempts to pull within a score of the Mavericks at 7-6.  MC attacker Davidson netted a goal on an assist from Jehle before Tampa's Voges mirrored with her third goal of the game.

Mercy scored its final goal of the contest just over the 10-minute mark as Sarah Koehler sent a pass from Nicole Kline to the back of the net.  The Spartans would respond with three unanswered goals as Madison Creech, Rom and Voges scored to give Tampa a 10-9 win over Mercy.

Guilday (2-7) was credited with the win while Mercy made a goalie change at the half, handing the loss to Shianne Judson (0-2) in the second half surge from UT.

Tampa will face Sunshine State Conference foe Florida Southern College on the road, meeting the Mocs on Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m.

Live stats will be made available through www.tampaspartans.com.

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