UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 18 Women's Lacrosse climbs to its 10th win of the season with a 13-10 final score against Cornell. The Nittany Lions move to 10-3, 2-1 Big Ten while the Big Red fall to 6-5, 2,1 Ivy League.
Junior co-captain Kristin O'Neill and senior Meghan Murray each posted four-goals to account for eight of Penn State's 13 on the day. They each picked up a ground ball and Murray earned a caused turnover.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Nittany Lions scored the first goal of the game with O'Neill's unassisted effort. The Big Red put one up themselves to tie it before Penn State went on a four-goal run. Murray completed her hat trick with three of the goals and Brooke Hoss notched the other.
Cornell finished off the quarter with a goal just under two minutes before the whistle to make the score 5-2.
Second Quarter
The Big Red put one in the back of the net first in the second stanza, but Penn State's O'Neill responded with one and helped Brooke Barger with an assist to take another four-point advantage with 10:30 remaining.
Cornell scored two goals throughout a Nittany Lions offensive drought. The halftime score was 7-5 with a two-goal edge still with Penn State.
Third Quarter
The Big Red managed three more goals in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter to take their first lead of the day, while the Nittany Lions couldn't find the back of the cage.
O'Neill ended the scoreless stretch with a man-up free position goal at 4:23 on the clock to knot the score at 8-8. Murray picked up her fourth goal of the game on a free position shot in the final 10 seconds of the quarter to take back the lead for Penn State at 9-8.
Fourth Quarter
Penn State climbed to yet another four-goal edge in the final quarter with a goal from O'Neill to start the spark. Gretchen Gilmore, Emma Kelly and Kara Nealon scored one apiece to total 13 for the Nittany Lions.
Cornell added two more before the clock hit zero with the final score 13-10.
OF NOTE
- O'Neill bumped her scoring streak to 17 consecutive games with her eighth hat trick of the season.
- Murray earned her third hat trick of the year.
- Kayla Abernathy picked up a career high nine draw controls wins as well as three ground balls and three caused turnovers.
- Rachel Spilker matched her personal best four ground balls and added two caused turnovers.
- Penn State outshot Cornell 34-24.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions head to Ann Arbor Michigan for a tough Big Ten road match on Saturday, April 8. First draw is set for noon.