Franklin Springs, GA – The Emmanuel Women's Lacrosse team hosted Tusculum University in regional action today. The two teams traded points and the lead early, with the Pioneers taking a 7-5 lead into the half. The Lions roared back in the second half, outscoring the Pioneers in both periods to take the lead with five minutes to play. The Pioneers closed out the game with a goal with seven seconds left to tie things at 14-14 to force overtime. In OT, junior Demi Czynski found the net to give the Lions the 15-14 victory. With the win, the Lions improve to 1-2 on the season. 

Tusculum got things started with a goal to take a 1-0 lead, but the Lions responded with a score by Taylor Schubert, assisted by Meghan Jennings to tie the game at 1-1. The Pioneers netted the next two to go up 3-1, but Schubert found the net with 3:17 to play in the first, assisted by Czynski to cut the lead to 3-2. Jennings was next to score, tying the game at 3-3 a mere 10 seconds later, assisted by Schubert then Czynski gave the Lions the 4-3 lead assisted by Schubert to close out the period.

The Pioneers started off the second period on a 4-0 scoring run to go up 7-4, but Olivia Wallach scored an unassisted goal with 53 seconds to play before halftime to make it 7-5, Tusculum.

Schubert scored to start off the third period, assisted by Jennings to cut the Pioneers lead to 7-6. Tusculum responded with a 3-0 scoring run to make the score 10-6 with 11:35 to play in the third. Schubert made it 10-7 with 10:41 to go in the third, and Kristie Fisher netted her first goal of the day three minutes later, assisted by Czynski to cut the Pioneers lead to 10-8. Jennings followed that up with a goal at the 6:23 mark, assisted by Schubert to make it 10-9 Tusculum. The Pioneers grabbed a goal with 3:23 to play in the third, but Jennings responded with a goal assisted by Lexi Lee to make it 11-10 Tusculum after three.

The Pioneers got on the board first to start the fourth quarter to push their lead to 12-10, but Fisher netted her second goal of the day with 12:05 to play to make it 12-11. Jennings tied things up at 12-12 with 6:26 to play, assisted by Wallach and then Wallach found the net a minute later to give the Lions the 13-12 lead. The teams traded goals the rest of the way. After the Pioneers tied things at 13-13, Jennings found the net for her fifth goal of the day with 3:53 to play, assisted by Wallach to make it 14-13 Lions. With seven seconds left in regulation, the Pioneers found the net to tie the game at 14-14 to force overtime.
In the overtime period, it was Demi Czynski who scored the winning goal at the 3:18 mark, assisted by Paetyn Hoffman to give the Lions the game, 15-14.

Meghan Jennings led the way for the Lions with 5 goals on the day, with Taylor Schubert adding 4. Schubert picked up 3 assists on the day to lead the team. 

In goal, Avery Atkins led the team with 8 saves.

Next up the Lions will host Belmont Abbey in their first conference game of the season on Tuesday at 5PM. This game, the Lions will shine the spotlight on Morgan's Message, an organization created by the family and friends of Morgan Rodgers, a Division I lacrosse player that died by suicide in 2019. This organization aims to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletes. 

Find out more about Morgan's Message at the link below! 

https://www.morgansmessage.org