HARROGATE, Tenn. - - Freshman Jesse French scored four goals and sophomore Sydney Steinberg handed out six assists as UVa-Wise improved to 5-1 with a 16-9 win at Lincoln Memorial University Thursday. With the win, Meghan Dennehy's squad is off to its best start in the three-year existence of the program.
UVa-Wise (5-1) never trailed in the road win as junior Annie Hanson scored off a Steinberg pass less than a minute into the action.
LMU (2-4) would tie the game at the 28:40 mark when Jasmin Click scored unassisted. Steinberg helped give UVa-Wise the lead back when she assisted on a Hannah Marshall goal with 25:56 to play in the half.
The Railsplitters countered with a goal from Rachel Bernhardt to tie the score at 2-2 with 24:02 to play.
From there, the rest of the half belonged to the Cavaliers as the visitors outscored the hosts 6-2 over the remainder of the half to take an 8-4 lead to intermission.
Seven different players scored for UVa-Wise in the opening 30 minutes, including two from Marshall.
LMU would get the score within three at 8-5 on a goal from Click in the opening minutes of the second half but back-to-back goals from Kristin Gobbi and French pushed the lead to 10-5 with 18:25 to play.
The schools would alternate goals over the next five minutes to make the score 12-8 with just over 13 minutes remaining before three straight goals from the Cavs put to rest any comeback effort from the Railsplitters.
Ashley Wells scored off a Rachel Cole assist before unassisted goals from Steinberg and Catherine Dina left the score 15-8 with 5:27 remaining.
Heather Roache got LMU back within six with 4:44 to play only to see Steinberg assist on a French goal to provide the final winning margin of 16-9.
Dina, Gobbi and Marshall had two goals each to join French with multiple goals in the triumph.
Jessica Apgar, Abby Willis and Melanie Reilly had three groundballs each to aid UVa-Wise to a 21-16 advantage in the category.
The Cavs are back in action on Saturday against nationally ranked Indiana University – Pennsylvania. First draw from Carl Smith Stadium is set for 11 a.m.
