Eutectics Open Season with Victory in Arkansas

The Eutectic women's lacrosse team travelled to Conway, Ark., on Saturday to open the 2024 season with a 12-11 victory over NCAA Division III Hendrix College. With five goals in the game, freshman Ella Penke made her mark on the UHSP program, breaking the school record and scoring the game-winning goal.

The Hendrix Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter before Molly Biermann marked the board for the Eutectics with an unassisted goal at 9:35. The Warriors' Kelsey Korb scored on a free position shot with seven minutes left in the quarter, but Ella Penke followed up by converting on her own free position shot for the first of her five goals in the game at 4:29. Hendrix held a 4-2 lead after the first period.

The home team extended their lead to 5-2 early in the second period. But, after that, UHSP dominated the quarter, scoring then next five goals. Caeley Doran kicked things off with an unassisted goal at 12:18, followed by an unassisted goal from Penke at 10:55. Qiu Ottolino scored UHSP's next two goals on a free position shot and an assist from Penke to give the Euts their first lead of the game at 6-5. Mandy Xa found an open Haley Smith at 3:54, who knocked in the final goal of the half, putting the Euts up 7-5 as they headed into the second half of the game.

The Warriors returned from halftime ready to break the UHSP momentum, scoring the first two goals of the third quarter to tie the game at 7-7. Within seconds of the tying goal, however, Haley Smith took a pass from Melanie Doub to regain the lead for the Eutectics a minute-and-a-half later, Michelle Le scored an unassisted goal to give the Euts a 9-7 lead. Peyton Refling snuck one past goalie Brianna Dixon with four minutes left in the quarter, but the Purple and Gold maintained a 9-8 lead heading into the final quarter.

Penke scored all three of the Eutectic goals in the final quarter (one unassisted and two free position). The home team, however, was not ready to give up the fight. With less than two minutes left in the game, Hendrix's Alaina Palmer scored an unassisted goal to tie the score at 11. The two teams battled it out in the final minutes and with just three seconds left on the clock, it was Penke who made good on a free position shot to win the game for the Eutectics.

The Warriors outshot the Eutectics 31-23 in the game, but UHSP goalkeepers Brianna Dixon and Heidi Shepherd made six saves apiece for the Eutectics. Michelle Le won five draw controls for the Eutectics,  and the UHSP offense buried 4-of-5 free positions shots, while Hendrix was 3-for-8.

The 1-0 Eutectics will next play their Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) home opener on Saturday, Feb. 17, when they host William Penn University (Iowa) at 1 p.m. at Creve Coeur Soccer Complex Field 12.