GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University held Coker University scoreless for the final three quarters and went on to earn a 22-2 victory in South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
On Senior Day, Jessie Carolin-Vandenberg had four goals along with a career-high seven ground balls and four caused turnovers for the Pioneers (6-5, 2-2 SAC) while Liberty Jones had four goals and three assists to go with two caused turnovers and two ground balls. The Pioneers outshot the Cobras 36-8 in the match and forced Coker into 30 turnovers, including 14 failed clears in 19 attempts.
Elisha Stack had a goal and seven assists for the Pioneers, with five goals from Carmella Nilsson and two goals from Sophia Didzbalis. Lauran Nance Pickens, Marissa Fink, Mya Halladay, Kayla Nuccio and senior Zuza Stasiak also scored for the Pioneers, whose 20-goal margin of victory is the largest ever in a home match and second-largest behind a 24-3 win at Emory & Henry in 2024.
The Pioneers led 5-2 after one quarter and scored eight in the second, four in the third and five more in the fourth to match their season high in goals set two weeks ago against Thomas More. Tusculum had 15 caused turnovers in the game and held a 15-10 edge in draw controls along with a 28-14 advantage in ground balls.
Tusculum led 4-0 midway through the first quarter before Coker got on the board on a goal from Kate Halcro with 4:24 left in the opening period. Stack scored with 1:08 left for a 5-1 Tusculum lead, and a goal from the Cobras' Paulina LoCascio with 28 seconds left in the quarter would be the last of the day for Coker.
Nilsson had three goals and Carolin-Vandenberg added a pair in the second quarter, with Stack collecting four assists to put the Pioneers up 13-2 at halftime. Jones tacked on two goals and assisted on a tally from Nuccio in the third quarter, and five different players scored in the fourth for the Pioneers including the last goal of the day from Stasiak with 35 seconds remaining.
Fink, Stack and Nilsson each had three ground balls for the Pioneers, with Nilsson earning a team-high five draw controls. For Coker, Ashley Cortez led the defense with four ground balls along with two caused turnovers.
Emily White played the first 52 minutes in goal and made five saves, while earning her 21st career victory to become the program career leader in goalkeeper wins. Brianna Warren did not face a shot in the final eight minutes for the Pioneers. Coker keeper Olivia Schmidt played the entire game and had 11 saves.
Tusculum plays its final home game of the regular season on Wednesday, April 1 at 3 p.m. against Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears are in third place in the SAC at 5-1 and moved to 5-6 overall with an 18-1 victory at Mars Hill.
