SAINT LEO, Fla. – The 16th-ranked Saint Leo University women's lacrosse team earned its ninth win of the season with an 18-5 victory over Palm Beach Atlantic on Wednesday evening. The Lions used a seven-goal second quarter to earn the win at University Turf Stadium. Saint Leo improved to 9-5 on the season and 3-2 in Sunshine State Conference play, while the Sailfish fall to 3-10 overall and are still looking for their first conference win after dropping to 0-6 in SSC action.

Jana Nuss led the Lions attack with three goals. Six additional Lions added a multi-goal game in the win. Maria Palomba, Sydney Brown, and Delaney Gilchrist also added a goal each. Jessica Harclerode and Makayla Goetz combined for eight saves in the win as Harclerode earned her ninth win of the season in goal.

#16 SAINT LEO 18, PALM BEACH ATLANTIC 5

• PBA's Ella Howlin gave the visitors its only lead of the game just three minutes after the opening draw. A women up goal by Ava Valenti and an even strength goal by Sophia Wood gave the Lions a 2-1 lead midway through the opening quarter. After Howlin tied the game at 2-2, Natalie Jones fired a shot at 4:28 in the first quarter to put the home team up 3-2.
• Nuss opened the second quarter with her second goal of the game to give the Lions their first multi-goal lead. PBA found the back of the net at the 11:42 mark fo the second quarter before Saint Leo took over and went on a 12-0 run that spanned the final three quarters. The Lions took a 10-3 lead into the halftime break.
• Zoey Lind scored her second goal of the game at the 6:54 mark of the third quarter to turn on the running clock as Saint Leo grew its lead to 13-3.
• Midway through the final 15 minutes, the Sailfish picked up some momentum scoring back-to-back goals for their only scores of the second half cutting the Lions lead to 11. Gilchrist and Brown scored the final goals of the game to push the home team's lead to 13 goals.

For the third time this season the Lions held their opponent to zero goals in a quarter. Saint Leo held the Montevallo Falcons to zero goals in the first and third quarters of a 25-3 victory on March 23.

UP NEXT
Saint Leo's regular season wraps up over the next week with games at #12 Embry-Riddle (April 13) on Saturday and hosting Florida Tech (April 16) for the regular-season finale on Tuesday.