TAMPA, Fla. – Wednesday night in Tampa was a historic night for the tenth-ranked Saint Leo University women's lacrosse team. Senior goalie Jessica Harclerode needed 11 saves to reach career milestone 600 and she did just that making 11 saves in a 13-11 win at #6 Tampa. Sophia Wood and Holly Hill combined for 11 of Saint Leo's 18 points. The victory at Tampa improves Saint Leo to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in SSC action. The Spartans fall 8-3 and are 2-2 in conference play.
Wednesday's win ended a 13-game skid to the Spartans and was the third Lions win in the series and first since 2015.
 
Sophia Wood led the game with 6 points on 5 goals and an assist. Holly Hill had five points on two goals and three assists to bring her season total to 95 points. Anna Wood also had a multi-goal game with two goals and won three of Saint Leo's 10 draw controls. Meredith Eitel caused three of Tampa's 11 turnovers. Abby Richards picked up four groundballs and In goal senior goalie Jessica Harclerode was an even 50% in the goal making 11 saves and allowing 11 goals. Harclerode made her final save of the night in the final six minutes to record her 600th career save.

#10 SAINT LEO 13, #6 TAMPA 11

• Tampa struck first just 85 seconds into the match, but Saint Leo answered quickly behind Sophia Wood. Wood scored twice in a span of 76 seconds, first to even the score at 1-1 and then off a feed from Sophia Santella to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
• The Spartans responded with back-to-back goals to close the first quarter, turning a one-goal deficit into a 3-2 lead. Jessica Harclerode helped keep Saint Leo within striking distance with four first-quarter saves as Tampa fired off 11 shots in the opening 15 minutes.
• Saint Leo flipped the game in the second quarter. Wood opened the period with a free-position goal to tie it at 3-3, then Grace DeWitt gave the Lions the lead for good at 4-3 with 9:14 left in the half.
• After Tampa tied it again at 4-4, the Lions seized control with a 3-0 burst over a 1:59 stretch. Holly Hill put Saint Leo back in front at 5-4, then assisted Natalie Jones just 24 seconds later before finding Anna Wood for a man-up goal at the 2:34 mark to make it 7-4.
• Saint Leo carried that three-goal advantage into halftime and used the opening moments of the third quarter to build its largest lead. Anna Wood scored on another player-up opportunity just 42 seconds into the half, then Sophia Santella and Jana Nuss added goals to push the margin to 10-5.
• Tampa made its push late in the third, scoring three man-up goals in the final 2:34 of the period. Jenna Myhal started the run, Mary Kate Person followed, and Kaitlin Price added another with 49 seconds left to trim Saint Leo's lead to 10-8 entering the fourth.
• The Lions answered that momentum swing right away in the final quarter. Holly Hill scored at 13:56 and Wood buried a free-position chance at 12:38 to stretch the lead back to 12-8.
• Tampa refused to go away, rattling off three straight goals in less than 2:30 to get within 12-11. Person scored twice and Peyton Howell added a free-position goal to make it a one-goal game with 9:46 to play.

 
Inside the Numbers

• 95: Holly Hill increased her point total to 95 points (34g,61a)
• 51: Sophia Wood leads the team with 51 goals, just two off the SSC lead (UT's Mary Kate Person, 53)
• 110: Sophia Wood moved into fourth all-time in program history with her 110 career goal, (Kelsey Burns, 112; 2014-17)

UP NEXT
Saint Leo is on the road to close out the week at Embry-Riddle (April 11) before coming home for the regular season finale on April 15 against Lynn.