Box Score BOX SCORE

The High Point University women's lacrosse team scored the first nine goals en route to a 15-2 victory over Wagner College on Thursday night at Vert Stadium. Sophomore Grace Gaeng scored three goals and had one assist, five draw controls and had three ground balls and freshman Mackenzie Carroll scored four goals.

"We played the full 60 minutes and everyone contributed," said HPU head coach Lyndsey Boswell. "We were able to get everybody minutes and, from top to bottom, everyone executed. Grace Gaeng was unbelieveable all over the field. She took our draws, placed them well and won a few. She controlled the offense and did all the little things. Mackenzie Carroll is finally back from her ankle injury and she played well."

"We played two full strings of defense and they both did what we wanted," added Boswell. "Lauren Hayes has been doing a great job in goal and tonight was no different."

High Point improved to 4-2 on the year while the Seahawks dropped to 1-3.

Carroll also added four ground balls and Chelsea Thompson and Alexis Goldman each scored a pair of goals. Cissy Woodyard grabbed six ground balls and goalie Lauren Hayes made six save for her fourth win.

High Point won the first six draw controls and was able to break up the Wagner defense early. Junior Heather Ziccarelli scored the first goal of the game just 33 seconds into it and Christie Dougherty netted another 25 seconds later, giving the Panthers a two-goal lead less than a minute into the game. Gaeng, Carroll and Thompson each added goals within the first 10 minutes, prompting a Wagner timeout. The Panthers led 7-0 at halftime, with Wagner managing just three shots (all Hayes saves).

High Point continued its scoring ways early in the second half when Gaeng scored her second goal of the night less than six minutes in. After some nifty passing from the HPU offense, Gaeng got the ball in front of the cage just outside the goalie's area, made a spin move off a defender and fired a backhanded shot past Wagner goalie Morgan Roach in the upper right corner. Thompson followed three minutes later, scoring her team-leading 14th goal of the season and second of the day.

Wagner got on the board with 22:40 remaining when defender Denieda McCullough netted her first tally of the season. Carolyn Clark also scored for the Seahawks, her score coming with 6:42 left to play.

Late in the game, Carroll added a pair of scores 33 seconds apart. The first came when she maneuvered through three Seahawk defenders and bounced a shot past the goalie, and the second came on a wraparound shot to the upper right corner from the left side of the cage. Freshman Sara Noyes recorded her first collegiate point via a goal coming with 9:29 remaining that increased the HPU lead to 14-1.

Wagner starter Marcel Hernandez made four saves in the first 21:29 before being relieved by Roach, who played the last 38:31 and made five stops.

High Point returns to action this Saturday when it hosts the Colonials of Robert Morris University. Faceoff is set for noon at Vert Stadium.