Eagles Tame Cougars to Finish Virginia Trip

DANVILLE, Va.- The Juniata women's lacrosse team continued their winning ways as they won 17-7 at Averett to wrap up their Virginia trip Thursday afternoon at Campbell stadium. 

Grace Gibbs (Arnold, Md. / Broadneck) totaled five goals, an assist, eight ground balls, and two caused turnovers, Shayla Lapp (Lancaster, Pa. / Lampeter-Strasburg) and Talia Bertrando (Lititz, Pa. / Warwick) amassed three goals and a ground ball each while Peyton Goodrich (Reading, Pa. / Berks Catholic) had three goals, six ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Gwen DeLeva (Havre de Grace, Md. / Havre de Grace) tallied a goal and an assist, while Aspen Handel (Richboro, Pa. / Bucks County) and Kyndall Yeager (Westminister, Md. / South Carroll) had one goal apiece. Charlotte Mallow (Beallsville, Md. / Poolesville) added an assist, Maeve Kuser (Upperco, Md. / Hereford) had four ground balls and three caused turnovers while Chloe Gerhard (Macungie, Pa. / Emmaus) made four saves in goal to get the win. 

A little under three minutes into the game, Gibbs, and Lapp scored 13 seconds apart to help JC jump ahead by two before the Cougars responded with a goal of their own two minutes later. Another goal from Lapp, along with goals from Bertrando and Goodrich, had JC ahead 5-1. 

The second quarter was a low-scoring one, as Gibbs netted the only two goals of the quarter as the Eagles led 7-1 at the halftime break. 

JC scored the first four goals of the second half as Goodrich, Bertrando, Yeager, and Gibbs helped put the Eagle lead into double digits at 11-1. The Cougars got two back before Lapp scored her third in the final minute as JC led 12-3. 

Both offenses got comfortable in the final quarter as the teams combined for nine goals. Averett got within eight at 14-6 with just over six minutes to play before Mallow assisted a Gibbs goal, and Goodrich scored unassisted to put the lead back to 10. Gibbs found DeLeva for the final Eagle goal of the game inside the final minute. 

Juniata held a 29-20 edge in groundballs and was 21-25 on clears on the day. They also outshot the Cougars 37-14. 

Juniata returns home to take on Bethany at 4:00 on Saturday.