Offensive Outburst Leads Bears Past Coastal Carolina, 24-20

Saturday, March 9

Macon, Ga.

12 p.m.

Mercer University

3-2

Coastal Carolina

3-4

Coastal Carolina

Mercer

Offensive Outburst Leads Bears Past Coastal Carolina, 24-20

3/9/2024 3:43:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Gabby DiVirgilio had a career high 10 points

MACON, Ga. - In a high scoring game, the Mercer Bears outlasted Coastal Carolina for a 24-20 win on Saturday in Macon.

Mercer's 24 goals are second most this season and tied for the third most goals the Bears have scored in a game all-time.

Mercer put 34 of its 41 shots on goal for a 82.9 shots on goal percentage. Coastal Carolina had 28 of its 36 shots on goal. Draw controls were mostly even as the Chanticleers won 25 draw controls to Mercer's 23.

Gabby DiVirgilio led Mercer's attack with a career high 10 points. DiVirgilio had four goals and six assists on the day. Seven different Mercer players had at least two goals in the game.

Kayla Soltys had a career high five goals to go with one assist for a six-point afternoon. She also had a game high eight draw controls.

Sarah Leahy led Mercer with two caused turnovers as she was one of six different Mercer players with a caused turnover on the day. Kate Vanderlinde made eight saves in goal for the Bears.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Goals from DiVirgilio and Maddi Koury put Mercer up 2-0 in the opening few minutes. Coastal Carolina would score the next two goals to tie the game, before Mercer scored the next three goals to take a 5-2 lead. DiVirgilio scored Mercer's fifth goal of the game for a first quarter hat trick. Coastal Carolina closed the gap to 5-4 after the first quarter.

Mercer got off to a great start in the second quarter and put some distance between themselves and the Chanticleers on the scoreboard. The Bears went on a 5-0 run in less than six minutes to open the second quarter. Sami Lowinger scored two of Mercer's goals during the run. With Mercer leading 10-5, the Bears closed out the half by scoring the last three goals to take a 13-5 lead into halftime.

The first half of the third quarter was back-and-forth as Mercer led 16-9 wtih under eight minutes to play in the third quarter. A goal by Kaileigh Wallace with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter gave Mercer its largest lead of the game at 20-11. Coastal Carolina scored the last two goals of the quarter to make it a 20-13 game.

Coastal Carolina took control of the fourth quarter, making it a one-goal game with the score 21-20, Mercer. It was part of a 9-1 Chanticleer scoring run going back to the third quarter. Kayla Soltys' fifth goal of the game put Mercer back up by two with more than four minutes to play. Sandy Salit scored two goals in the final two minutes to put the game away for Mercer.

NOTABLES

Mercer 24 goals were the second most goals scored in a game this season and tied for the third most all-time
Mercer has now won two straight games against Coastal Carolina
Mercer had a season high 36 points and 12 assists in the win
DiVirgilio's 10 points were a career high, surpassing her 9-point game against Kennesaw State
Mercer's 34 shots on goal were a season high
The Bears had a season low seven turnovers
Freshman Ansley Walters scored a career high three goals and has scored in all five games this season

FOLLOW THE BEARS
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