SAINT LEO, Fla. – The eighth-ranked Saint Leo Lions improved 8-1 on the season with a 13-5 win over #12 Kutztown on Sunday afternoon. Jana Nuss led the game with four goals including three of Saint Leo's four goals in the second quarter. The Lions turned an early 3-0 deficit into an 8-3 advantage keeping the Bears off the board for nearly 25 minutes spanning three quarters. With the loss the Kutztown Bears fall to 5-2 overall.

Nuss led the Lions with five points as she had four goals and an assist. Three of the goals by Nuss came on free position shots. Maria Palomba added three goals and led the game with six draw controls to bring her career total to 450 draw controls. Natalie Jones found the back of the net twice as four others also found the back of the net. Ava Valenti had the other three assists for the home team.

Parker Surace and Jessica Harclerode led the team with four groundballs each as Meredith Eitel picked up three groundballs. Saint Leo caused ten turnovers as Surace, Eitel, Josey Storm, and Emma Hayhurst had two each and Palomba and Briana Bellando accounted for the other two. Harclerode made 14 saves in the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Maria Palomba had six draw controls on Sunday to bring her career total to 450 and lead the team with 57. Which is good for third in the conference, just 12 shy of Embry-Riddle's Sallie Squire with 69.
• Jessica Harclerode made 14 saves and leads the SSC with 74 total saves and 8.22 saves per game.
• Eight wins and one loss is the most wins in a season through the first nine games for the Lions since the 2019 team opened the season 13-0

UP NEXT
Saint Leo's homestand continues on Tuesday, March 18, as it hosts Southern Connecticut State for a non-conference match starting at 6 p.m. at University Turf Stadium.