Bears Defeat Wofford To Clinch Share Of Big South Regular Season Title

Wednesday, April 22

Spartanburg, S.C.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

10-6, 7-0

Wofford

7-9, 5-2

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Mercer	3	9	3	2	17
Wofford	0	1	1	0	2

Bears Defeat Wofford To Clinch Share Of Big South Regular Season Title

4/22/2026 7:16:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Bears have won eight-straight conference crowns overall

By: Brian Magnus, magnus_bt@mercer.edu

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Visiting Mercer got a career day from senior Sofia D'Angelo and broke open an otherwise close game with nine goals in the second quarter as the Bears laid claim to the program's seventh-straight conference regular season crown with a dominant 17-2 rout of Wofford on Wednesday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium.

The decision helped Mercer (10-6, 7-0 Big South) clinch the Big South Conference title outright, while also giving the Orange & Black hosting duties for the league tournament which will be held, May 1-3, at Five Star Stadium. The setback snapped a two-game run of success for the Terriers (7-9, 5-2) who have now faltered in two of their last three home outings.

It is the seventh consecutive conference regular season championship for the Bears who captured the Southern Conference regular season title in 2019 and 2021 prior to their current run of five-straight (2022-26) as a member of the Big South Conference. The Orange & Black also won the SoCon Tournament title in 2018.

D'Angelo logged a career-best nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) on 10 shots and led a parade of eight different goal scorers for MU. Caroline Glus added three points an assist, while Gabby Brisbin and Josie Parrett turned in two goals apiece. Mackenzie Ward yielded lone scores in the second and third periods, while also notching six saves.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Abby Vane, Sofia D'Angelo and Josie Parrett all notched goals in the opening period to give the Bears a 3-0 advantage through 15 minutes of play before the dam opened in the second frame. Wofford scored with just under 10 minutes left in the second period to cut into a 6-0 deficit, but the Bears added six more scores before the halftime break, including two from D'Angelo, to take a 12-1 lead into the intermission.

Kaileigh Wallace made it a 14-1 lead for MU on a goal with 6:51 left to play in the third period before the Terriers were able to scratch the scoreboard again. D'Angelo scored again just more than 3-1/2 minutes later to give the Bears a 15-2 advantage heading to the final quarter. D'Angelo and Glus scored three minutes apart early in the final stanza to provide the final.

NOTABLES

Mercer improved to 7-0 in Big South Conference play for the fourth time in their five years as a member of the league and stretched its win streak against league foes out to 10 games.
The Bears have outscored opponents 119-23 this season, including a 58-6 edge in their last three Big South Conference matchups.
Over the last four games, Mercer has scored six or more goals in a quarter five times, including a nine-goal second quarter on Wednesday. MU also scored nine goals in the opening period of its 24-0 win at Radford on Saturday.
Senior Sofia D'Angelo registered a career-high nine points on six goals and three assists. Her previous career-best point total was seven (4 goals, 3 assists) in Mercer's win over Winthrop on April 11.
Redshirt sophomore goalie Mackenzie Ward has yielded two or fewer goals in five out of her last seven starts between the pipes for the Orange & Black. She has also tallied a .720 save percentage across that span as well.

UP NEXT
The Bears will take on Big South Conference foe Longwood (3-9, 2-4 Big South) on Saturday in the front half of an 11 a.m. women's and men's lacrosse doubleheader at Five Star Stadium. Saturday's game will be preceded by Senior Day festivities as the Orange & Black pays homage to its Class of 2026. Admission is free.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWLAX (Twitter) and @Mercerwlax (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.