Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
NEWBERRY — Behind a relentless offensive attack and a strong defensive effort, Newberry women’s lacrosse advanced to the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) semifinals with a 20-13 victory over UVa-Wise on Saturday afternoon at Setzler Field. The Wolves improved to 13-5 overall, while UVa-Wise ended their season at 9-9.
After falling behind 2-0 early, Newberry’s offense ignited midway through the first quarter. Led by a hat trick from Lana Howell and a pair of goals from Serena Elias, the Wolves rattled off six goals in the opening 15 minutes to surge ahead 6-3 after one quarter.
UVa-Wise closed the gap at times, but Newberry never relinquished control. The Wolves held a 9-7 lead at halftime, thanks to timely goals from Nicole Dinapoli and another strike from Howell just before the break.
Coming out of halftime, Newberry delivered its strongest quarter of the afternoon, outscoring the Cavaliers 7-4 in a dominant third period. Emma Jobs powered the run with two goals in less than a minute, and Howell and Elias continued to attack the UVa-Wise defense with ease.
Howell turned in a monster performance, racking up six goals and two assists, while Elias followed with four goals and one assist. Jobs added a hat trick, and Trysten Burns chipped in two more goals to round out a balanced scoring effort.
In net, Mackenzie Dorr was steady and dependable, making 13 saves against 32 shots to anchor the Wolves’ defensive efforts.
Newberry finished with a 38-32 advantage in total shots and controlled the ground ball battle 22-17. The Wolves also executed in transition, clearing 19-of-23 attempts successfully.
The Wolves advance to the SAC semifinals with momentum on their side, seeking to continue their postseason run with the same attacking style and defensive grit.