DAYTONA, Fla. – The Saint Leo women's lacrosse team, unranked but receiving votes in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) upset No. 12 Embry-Riddle 14-12 in the regular-season finale. The Lions' best showing of the season against a nationally-ranked opponent earned the program's first appearance in the Sunshine State Conference Championship Tournament since 2015 when there were only five programs with women's lacrosse teams in the conference. The Green and Gold's strong finish punched their ticket to the conference postseason as the fourth seed. Head Coach Caitlin Hansen led the Lions to a 7-10 overall record, 4-3 in the league despite tremendous adversity throughout the season.   
 
Hansen exclaimed, "This is a great day for our program! The goal has been to make it to the post-season since I arrived on campus in 2017. That gets harder every year with the quality of our SSC opponents and was even harder this year as we have battled several injuries. This group has proven to be special. Players have stepped up and we started to put the pieces together at the beginning of conference play. I am so proud of the team and excited for the opportunity to compete in the SSC tournament for the first time since 2015!"
 
Hansen continued highlighting career-high days that propelled Saint Leo over No. 12 Embry-Riddle. "This win was a team effort. We played hard on defense and the attack answered when we needed a goal."
 
"It was a standout game for Kaci Archer with six goals and an assist. Rachel Smythe in cage came in off the bench and made 15 huge saves. We needed career days from both of them to get this win and they got it done."
"Plus," Hansen concluded, "Maria Palomba's consistent strong draw circle play and defensive efforts from Reagan Buhrman and Emily Lampasone; it was a good day for the Lions!"
 
Archer dished out seven points; scoring six goals off seven shots. Palomba won 11 draw controls while Lampasone caused a turnover. She and Buhrman each picked up a pair of groundballs. Smythe protected the net with a career-high 15 saves.
 
The tight game was ultimately decided in the second quarter when the Lions clipped the Eagles by two goals. In both the first, third, and fourth quarters both teams matched the other's efforts.
 
Up Next
Saint Leo will prepare for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament Championships Semifinals on Thursday, April 28. The fourth seed Lions will be hosted by the first seeded Spartans of Tampa in downtown Tampa, Fla.
 
Match Up History
Saint Leo and Tampa last met on Saturday, April 2 inside the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex. Despite Delaney Gilchist's four-goal performance, the Lions were tamed 20-8.
(BOXSCORE | RECAP)
 
Important Links
2022 Women's Lacrosse Bracket: https://sunshinestateconference.com/news/2022/4/24/2022-ssc-womens-lacrosse-tournament-bracket-announced.aspx
 
Championship Central: https://sunshinestateconference.com/tournaments/?id=197
 
Watch live on the Sunshine State Conference Digital Network: https://www.sunshinestateconference.tv/
 
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women's lacrosse, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.