Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the Young Harris Mountain Lions on Wednesday evening in a 23-2 final score.

The Warriors totaled six shots on goal with sophomore Lauryn Esposito leading the team with three shots on goal.  Both Esposito and Fianna Steves had solo goals in the game.  Steves went on to have the lone assist.

Southern Wesleyan won ten draw controls during the game.  Fianna Steves won six with Lauryn Esposito following with three.  Aleiza Manns won the final draw of the game.  The Warriors caused six turners with Steves having two.  Of the 19 ground balls, Caroline Lark and Steves each recorded three.  Behind them were Lexi Richardson, Lauryn Esposito, Mack Moreau, Emily Burchette and Helen Posey with two ground balls apiece.  Lark played all sixty minutes in goal and had seven saves.

Game Vitals

Final: Young Harris 23, Southern Wesleyan 2

Records: Southern Wesleyan (1-14 / CC 1-7) Young Harris (8-7 / CC 5-2)

How It Happened

The Mountain Lions attacked quickly as Ashlyn Fraley scored the first goal of the game off a free position attempt.  Fianna Steves won the next draw, but the Warriors could not maintain position as Mary Troyer picked up the ground ball.  Young Harris extended their lead to 3-0 with back-to-back goals by Ruthie Mandell.  Fianna Steves and Mack Moreau took turns taking shots on the cage, but Alyssa Rosenfeld stood strong to thwart each attack.  Young Harris would not back down as with just over two minutes on the clock, Parker Vaughn scored the tenth goal of the game to force the running clock.

Young Harris continued their attacks on the cage in the second quarter as Jaidyn Cochran took a shot on the goal, but Caroline Lark saved the shot off the free position from meeting the back of the cage.  The Mountain Lions persisted with shots by Emily Flynt and Kayla Lynn, but Lark was not deterred.  Flynt got past the Warriors defense and scored the Mountain Lions twelfth goal.  Young Harris took a 17-0 goal lead going into halftime.

Fianna Steves won the first draw of the third quarter, but the Warriors were unable to stay in control.  Ally Cattoni collected the ball and sent it over to Gianna Lemieux who scored her first and only goal of the game to extend the Mountain Lions lead to eighteen.  Southern Wesleyan cleared the ball down the field.  Fianna Steves passed the ball over the Mountain Lion defenders to Lauryn Esposito who got the ball past Abbie Gallagher to score the Warriors first goal of the evening.  Southern Wesleyan continued to challenge as, with two minutes on the clock, Steves wove around the defense and scored a goal of her own.  However, a goal by Ella Hancock allowed Young Harris to take a 20-2 goal lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Mountain Lions attacked early in the final quarter with a shot by Ally Cattoni, but Caroline Lark thwarted the attack once again.  A foul in the eight meter sent Ruthie Mandell to the free position line.  She drilled the ball into the cage.  Lauryn Esposito challenged the Mountain Lion defense once again, but McKenna Graf stood strong in the cage.  Young Harris scored twice more out of the sticks Jess Sujishi and Riley Parker to claim a 23-2 goal victory over Southern Wesleyan.

What's Next

Southern Wesleyan will travel to Wilson, NC on April 13 to take on the Barton Bulldogs at noon.  They will return to Childs Field on April 19 as they host Warren Wilson in the final regular season game at 7pm.  The Warriors will celebrate their three seniors (Deandra Martin, Kali Letcher and Nyah Garner) prior to the game.