BOCA RATON, Fla. – The eighth-ranked Saint Leo University women's lacrosse team earned the five-seed for the 2025 Sunshine State Conference women's lacrosse championship Presented by Pollo Campero. The Lions made the trip south to take on the four-seed Lynn Fighting Knights in Boca Raton, Fla. Saint Leo exploded for six goals in the second half to turn a 7-5 halftime deficit into an 11-10 victory to advance to the semifinals where the Lions will face either top-ranked Tampa or the two-seed Florida Southern on April 24. The Green & Gold improved to 13-5 overall. Lynn falls to 14-4 in 2025.

Maria Palomba led the offense with four goals including three in the final ten minutes of the game, proving to be the difference in the victory. The senior also won a game-best 11 draw controls for the second straight game. Holly Hill had a two-goal game including the goal to tie the game at 8-8. Five additional Lions found the back of the net as Jana Nuss, Natalie Jones, Ava Valenti, Joselyn Storm, and Julia Charvat scored in the win. Jessica Harclerode made 11 saves to lead the Lions to victory. As a team, Saint Leo fired off 36 shots including a combined 17 from Palomba (9) and Hill (8). The Lions picked up 17 ground balls and won 14 of the 25 draw controls in the game. The Lions also caused six of the Fighting Knights nine turnovers.
 
#8 SAINT LEO 21, #18 ROLLINS 11
Saint Leo jumped out to a 3-2 lead after the first 15 minutes. The home team got off to a 2-0 lead with the first goal of the game coming midway through the first quarter. With just under two minutes remaining Lynn doubled its lead. Four of the five first quarter goals came with under two minutes remaining in the quarter as the Lions scored three straight goals in the final 78 seconds of the first. Julia Charvat got the visitors on the board with her third goal of the season at the 1:18 mark. Thirty seconds later, Maria Palomba tied the game at 2-2 with her team leading 42nd goal of the season. Jana Nuss gave the Lions their first lead of the game with 17 seconds remaining in the opening quarter for her  37th goal of the season. The Lions led 3-2 after the first quarter.

Holly Hill opened the scoring of the second quarter with her first goal of the game midway through the second quarter. After the home team cut the Lions lead to one, 4-3, Ava Valenti found the back of the net to put the visitors back up by a pair. Lynn responded with a four goal run to close out the first half turning a 5-3 deficit into a 7-5 halftime advantage.

Saint Leo opened the second half with a 2-0 run thanks to goals by Natalie Jones and Joselyn Storm to tie the game at 7-7. Lynn scored at the 1:27 mark of the third quarter to take an 8-7 lead into the final quarter.

Holly Hill opened the fourth quarter with her second goal of the game tying the game at 8-8. Meredith Eitel thwarted a scoring chance by the home team as she caused a turnover allowing the Lions to race to the other end of the field. After a shot by Holly Hill was saved Maria Palomba scored her first of two goals in a 36 second span to give the Lions a 10-8 lead, the first lead since Lynn's 4-0 run to end the first half. Lynn tied the game at 10-10, capitalizing on a pair of free-position attempts. Palomba give the Lions a lead they never relinquished with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the visitors up 11-10. Saint Leo looked to add to its slim advantage as Storm and Jones fired off back-to-back shots right at the Lynn goalie.

UP NEXT
Saint Leo advances to the semifinals where it will take on either the top-seed Tampa Spartans or the second-seed Florida Southern on Thursday, April 24 at a time to be determined.