Strong Third Quarter Seals Victory over Missouri Valley

MARSHALL, MO. – The Eutectic Women's Lacrosse team picked up its third Heart of America Athletic Conference (HEART) victory on Saturday with a 14-7 win over Missouri Valley College (4-8, 1-5 HEART). The Eutectics held a 6-4 lead at halftime, then scored six unanswered goals in the third quarter to take an eight-point lead that would ultimately be too much for the MVC Vikings to chase down.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Eutectics' Melanie Doub notched the first Eutectic goal, assisted by Ella Penke, within the first minute of play. The Vikings answered back four minutes later, but the Eutectics followed up with four goals in a row, from Penke (free position), Haley Smith, and Marisa Podio (from Penke). MVC would score two more in the last five minutes of the quarter to close the gap to 4-3 after the first quarter.
• The Vikings tied the game at four apiece six minutes into the second quarter, but two quick goals from Podio and Nadiya Delvois in the last few minutes put the Euts up 6-4 at halftime.
• If there was any doubt about who should be in the lead, the Eutectics erased it in the third quarter, as Penke (2), Molly Biermann (2), Haley Smith, and Doub combined for six unanswered goals with assists from Gracie Spicer (2), Delvois, Podio, and Adriana Cain to pull the Purple and Gold to a lead of 12-4. Meanwhile, UHSP goalkeeper Brianna Dixon made four saves of six MVC shots to shutout the home team in the quarter.
• Doub scored an unassisted goal to start the fourth quarter before the Viking offense was able to strike again with just over nine minutes left in the game (13-5). UHSP followed up with Nicole Bass scoring her first goal of the season with less than five minutes on the clock to make it 14-5. MVC's Hailey Davis would earn two goals in the final two minutes of play to bring the Viking tally to seven.
• Penke led the Euts on offense with a hat trick and two assists for five points, while Doub notched the first hat trick of her Eutectic career. Podio and Biermann collected two goals and four draw controls apiece.
• Dixon recorded 12 saves in the game, while Viking goalie Audrey Connolly picked up eight, as MVC outshot the Eutectics 27-25.

NEXT UP:

 The Eutectics are now 6-7 overall and 3-4 in the HEART, currently ranked sixth of nine team in the Conference. They will look to get to .500 and move up in the rankings at their final regular-season game on Wednesday, April 9, at 4 p.m. against Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo. Culver-Stockton is currently ranked fifth with a record of 3-3 in the HEART, but are set to play third-ranked Ottawa (5-1) on Sunday.