ANDERSON, SC- The Newberry College women's lacrosse team battled through a back-and-forth contest but fell 10-9 to Anderson in South Atlantic Conference action Wednesday afternoon at Spero Field. The Wolves move to 6-8 overall and 3-4 in SAC play.
Newberry came out strong in the opening quarter, jumping ahead with a 4-1 run fueled by goals from Jadie Burns, Shannon Creagh, and Tunie Mullen. Burns added an early score while Creagh netted two in the period, helping the Wolves establish a 4-3 lead after one. The offense spread the ball well early, and Newberry's defense forced several turnovers to limit Anderson's initial momentum.
The second quarter featured continued back-and-forth action as Anderson briefly took its first lead before Newberry responded. Nicole DiNapoli provided a key spark with back-to-back goals to regain a 6-5 advantage for the Wolves. Anderson answered late with a man-up goal to send the game into halftime tied at 6-6. Newberry remained efficient in possession, converting opportunities while continuing to generate defensive pressure. In the third quarter, Newberry reclaimed the lead when Ryann Bunner finished a feed from Mullen to make it 7-6. Anderson responded once again, however, scoring the equalizer and taking advantage of a strong stretch of possession to keep the game tied heading into the fourth. The Trojans outshot Newberry during portions of the contest and began to control key moments in the midfield.
The fourth quarter saw Anderson build a two-goal advantage late in the period. Burns connected with Lana Howell to cut the deficit to one, and Ella Todd added a goal in the final minute to bring Newberry within striking distance, but the Wolves were unable to find the equalizer before time expired. Burns led Newberry offensively with three points on two goals and an assist, while Creagh and DiNapoli each added two goals. Mullen contributed a goal and an assist, Bunner and Todd each scored once, and Howell added an assist. Burns also led the team with four shots on goal, while Creagh placed three of her shots on target.
Defensively, Presley Green recorded seven saves in goal, helping keep the Wolves within reach throughout the contest. Newberry recorded 18 shots with 12 on goal, converted 18-of-22 clear attempts, and collected 13 ground balls. Despite the loss, the Wolves showed resilience in a game that featured multiple lead changes and ties, remaining competitive against a strong Anderson squad from start to finish.
Newberry will continue South Atlantic Conference play on Saturday, April 4, when they return home to host Wingate at Setzler Field at 3:30 p.m. in a "White Out" matchup.
