Mercer’s Season Comes to an End in the First Round of the NCAA

Friday, May 14

Gainesville, FL

4 p.m.

Mercer University

7-8, 2-2SoCon

Florida

17-2, 10-0AAC

Mercer

Florida

Photo by: Cyndi Chambers

Mercer’s Season Comes to an End in the First Round of the NCAA

5/14/2021 6:30:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

By: Jesika Moore

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Mercer women's lacrosse season came to an end with a 23-5 final against No. 6 Florida Gators in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday afternoon.

The Bears went down 0-3 early in the first half. Iseabal Cryne showed why she was the Southern Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player, stopping three Florida shots within the first five minutes. The Gators continued to grow their lead to 11. Over halfway through the first half, Hailey Rhatigan would get the Black and Orange on the board. Lily Morin forced the only caused turnover of the half for the Bears, while Ainsley Malamala and Kathryn Vanderlinde each snagged a groundball. Cryne finished the half with four saves and Vanderlinde stopped two. Florida led 18-1 at the half.

Florida opened the half scoring three more goals before the Black and Orange would find the back of the net again. At the 19:58 mark, Hailey Rhatigan would find the back of the net for the second time in the game. After a Gator turnover, Kileigh Casey picked up the ball and ran coast to coast and found the back of the net to score her third goal of the season. Four minutes later, Rhatigan would find the back of the net for the third time today. The Bears last goal of the game and the season would from Eva Thorn. The graduate student weaved her way through the Florida defenders and shot the ball right past the goalie. The Bears season would end with a 23-5 final.

NOTABLES

Hailey Rhatigan led the Bears with three goals in the game, bring her season total to 47.
Eva Thorn's lone goal of the game brought her season total to 20. Kileigh Casey capped off the scoring for the Bears with her third of the season.
Iseabal Cryne stopped six shots, four within the first five minutes. She finished the season with 110 saves.
Kathryn Vanderlinde's two saves against the Gators brought her season total to 27.
Kileigh Casey and Emma Pizzo led the Black and Orange with two groundballs. Casey finishes with 15 groundballs, while Pizzo finishes with 14. Pizzo also led the Bears with three caused turnovers.

Follow The Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWLax (Twitter), /MercerWomensLacrosse (Facebook) and @MercerWLax (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.