Box Score (PDF)

• Sophomore Erica Perrotta posted four points (3g, 1a) and caused three turnovers
• Junior Samantha Brown added four points on two goals and two assists
• HPU is the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big South Tournament and will host No. 7 Gardner-Webb in quarterfinal action Saturday Apr. 30 at 3 p.m.
 
ROCK HILL, S.C. – In a game that lived up to its billing, the High Point University women's lacrosse team (11-5, 7-1) dropped a hard fought, 14-13 contest, to Winthrop (17-2, 8-0) on Sunday at Eagle Field.
 
The Panthers and Eagles went back and forth all game long, most intensely during an extremely competitive second half that featured five lead changes. HPU held a 12-11 edge with 15:30 to go, but the Eagles scored three of the game's last four goals to earn the victory and claim the Big South regular season title.
 
HPU enters the upcoming Big South Championship as the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 Gardner-Webb in quarterfinal action Saturday (Apr. 30) at 3 p.m.
 
"I'm proud of the way we fought all game long," head coach Lyndsey Boswell said. "A couple things didn't go our way and our execution was poor at times. Winthrop's a good team and took advantage of those opportunities. I'm excited to use the next week to prepare for Saturday's quarterfinal. We need to work hard to get back here and have the opportunity to compete for a championship."
 
The game was nearly even in the majority of statistical categories. Winthrop held slim edges in shots (27-26) and draw controls (15-14), while HPU held the edge in ground balls (17-16) and clear percentage (.933-.800). The difference came at the free position, where Winthrop executed on 4-of-9 attempts (.444) while HPU was 2-of-7 (.286).
 
Sophomore Erica Perrotta continued her strong play of late, notching four points on three goals and an assist. The Roseland, N.J., native also caused a team-high three turnovers and picked up three ground balls on the day.
 
Junior Samantha Brown chipped in four points on two goals and two assists, while senior Allie Foard added a hat trick and registered a ground ball in the contest.
 
Freshman Samantha Herman returned from injury to tally two goals and pick up a team-high four draw controls for HPU in the midfield. Defensively, junior Christina Del Sesto caused a turnover, registered three draw controls and picked up two ground balls in the contest.
 
Freshman goalie Molly Andrews played a full 60 minutes in the cage while making four saves for the Purple & White.
 
High Point notched the first goal of the game, as Brown found Perrotta for a score in transition just a minute into the contest. Winthrop answered 90 seconds later, but HPU went back up (2-1) on a wild Foard goal at the 23:38 mark.
 
The Eagles came back with a 3-0 run over the next nine minutes to build a 4-2 lead with 14:31 to play in the first half.
 
Brown took a clear all the way to the house to cut the WU lead to one (4-3) with 8:03 to go in the stanza, but Winthrop scored less than a minute later to go back up two at 5-3.
 
Back-to-back goals from sophomore Brooke Stevens and Herman tied the score up at five with 2:49 left, but Winthrop posted the final goal of the half at the 1:17 mark to take a 6-5 lead into the break.
 
Winthrop posted the first goal of the second half to go back up two (7-5), but goals from Perrotta and Foard tied it back up at 7-7 at the 25:49 mark. Winthrop answered with a score two minutes later, but goals from Brown and Foard in less than a minute put HPU back in front (9-8) with 22:52 left in the game.
 
Winthrop notched the next two scores to go up 10-9 with 20:07 to go, but from there, HPU grabbed the next four draw controls and went to work. The Panthers put together a 3-0 run, which included goals from Pace, Gaeng and Herman, to take its largest of the contest (12-10) with 17:04 left.
 
The Eagles utilized a 3-0 run of their own to go back up one (13-12) with 11:35 to play, but the Panthers grabbed the equalizer just a minute later with Gaeng finding Perrotta for the score.
 
Neither team could score on the next five possessions, but with 2:14 remaining, Winthrop's Allie Yeager scored to put the Eagles back up one (14-13). The Eagles won the ensuing draw and took the clock down under 20 seconds before HPU forced a turnover.
 
The Panthers got the ball at midfield with 12 seconds left and Perrotta got a look, but the shot was saved and the Eagles escaped with the victory.
 
The loss marked HPU's first conference defeat since a contest at Liberty on Apr. 17, 2015.
 
HPU now returns to Vert Stadium to host a Big South Tournament quarterfinal contest on Saturday (Apr. 30) at 3 p.m. The No. 2 seeded Panthers will host No. 7 Gardner-Webb inside Vert Stadium.
 
With the victory, HPU would head back to Rock Hill to take on the winner of No. 3 Campbell and No. 6 Longwood on Thursday, May 5.
 
#GoHPU