MELBOURNE, Fla. – Sporting a 5-2 record with a 2-0 record in conference, the Women's Lacrosse team started their two game Florida tour with the first stop in Melbourne, Florida, to face the Florida Tech Panthers. 5-2 on the year as well, this previewed to be an tightly contested matchup for the Wolves, but as it turned out, the Panthers proved to be too much as they would scored early and often en route to a 20-5 victory over Newberry.

The hosts got on the board first with a goal scored by Carly Niro at 9:17, but Adriana Hart (Franklin County, Va.) matched her with a goal of her own a minute later. Four goals were scored by the Panthers in the first period before Serena Elias (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) grabbed the second goal for the Wolves at 2:30. The scoring ceased for the rest of the period, but the home team picked up where they left off with scores from Charlotte Hardie and Sophia Scichilone to open the second quarter. The Wolves' Elias secured her brace with a second goal for her before the Panthers maintained control for the entirety of the period, scoring four unanswered goals and taking the game to halftime up 11-3 on Newberry.

A goalie change from Mackenzie Dorr (Riverhead, N.Y.) to Kaitlyn Lamanna (Mohnton, Pa.) looked to quench the scoring of Florida Tech, but to no avail as Florida Tech asserted themselves on the score sheet in the third quarter. Three goals in the first five minutes extended the lead to 11 for the Panthers, and two more from Florida Tech's Karly Liebendorfer and Rachel Johnson completed the dominant display as Newberry were held scoreless in this period. The hosts would continue to keep their foot on the gas by scoring the first two goals of the fourth quarter before Ella Todd (Maple Ridge, Canada) ended the scoring drought for the Wolves with the fourth goal of the game. Even with the goal, it was tough sledding the rest of the way as the Panthers' scoring prowess and defense (21 Newberry turnovers and only 13 shots from the Wolves) flustered the visitors. Both teams exchanged goals, courtesy of Charlotte Hardie and Newberry's Jenny Bates (Sherwood Park, Alberta), and, for insurance, the game ended after a last minute goal from Florida Tech's Caroline Finn.

Now 5-3, Newberry will stay in the Sunshine State for their game on Tuesday, March 14, against Flagler College, scheduled for a 2 PM start.