By Jada Butler
The LIU Post women’s lacrosse team defeated one of its toughest East Coast Conference (ECC) rivals, the Mercy College Mavericks, 25-18 on Saturday, April 14 at Bethpage Credit Union Stadium in Brookville.
Alyssa Mallery, an LIU Post sophomore midfielder, scored the first goal for the Pioneers with no assists. The Pioneers and the Mavericks were toe-to-toe through much of the first period, going into halftime with an 11-11 tie.
The Mavericks seized a strong advantage to start off the second period, scoring three points within the first five minutes, bringing the score to 11-14.
Mallery and Brianna Feldman, a sophomore midfielder, were the Pioneers’ leading scorers in the second half, with six and three points, respectively.
The Pioneers held the advantage throughout the second, leading by seven points with less than 10 minutes left.
Olivia Kirk, a senior goalkeeper, who was also named Division II National Defensive Player of the Week after the team’s match against St. Thomas Aquinas College, had six saves. While her team was on a run in the second, Kirk remained alert and kept up the momentum.
“I always say, ‘Stay hot, D [defense]’ because after a couple sets and you’re not moving as much, you kind of forget how to and you’re not always prepared, so that’s what we work on. I’ve got to keep my head in it the entire time,” Kirk said.
Paige Sherlock, a sophomore midfielder, scored the final point of the game for LIU Post. The Pioneers brought the game home with a seven-point victory.
“They [the Mavericks] are a great team and they always push us to be our best and always give us great competition,” Kirk said after the game. “These are the games we come out for – it’s the hard-working, close games, the ones that really show you how hard you work and how much more you have to give.”
This win comes after an 18-2 win on Wednesday, April 11 against St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, N.Y. The Pioneers are now 10-3 for the season.
The Pioneers’ next game is Wednesday, April 18 at 4 p.m. at Queens College, and their next home game is Wednesday, April 25 at 3 p.m. against Lindenwood University.
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
