RADFORD, Va. – Looking for a third consecutive home victory, the Radford University women's lacrosse team dominated their final non-conference matchup of the season as they beat Akron by a final score of 14-3. For the second straight game, it was a trio of hat tricks that proved to be too much for the visitors to overcome.
The Highlanders also combined to tally a season-high 25 points in the contest, seeming to play their best lacrosse this season, which comes at a crucial part of the campaign. Radford's win over the Zips today show their steady improvement from last season as they have already eclipsed their win totals from a year ago with Big South play still set to begin.
Radford scored four goals in the first five minutes of play and never looked back. Reece Morrish opened the scoring within the first three minutes before Linley Tirrell scored two quick goals within 45 seconds of each other to give the hosts an early 3-0 advantage. Mady Cheney, who scored her first collegiate hat trick on Thursday against Delaware State, netted her first goal of the day to put the Highlanders up four.
Ashlyn Grogan's first of three goals in the contest came with a couple minutes left in the opening frame. She found the back of the net off a feed from Margaret Gleason to put Radford up by five goals at the end of the first quarter.
Radford's lead continued to grow, largely in part to a six-goal second quarter. Morrish and Grogan both scored two goals apiece in the second period to seal their hat tricks. The freshman Cheney recorded her second score of the day and the squad's leading scorer Gleason added her name to the scoresheet before the first half ended. The scoring onslaught gave the Highlanders an 11-0 lead at the intermission.
After a double-digit scoring effort from Radford in the opening half, the Highlanders only scored two goals in the third quarter; those two goals went to Gleason who now has a team-high 20 goals this season. Heading into the final period, Radford was up by 13. Taylar Hackney added one final blow as the freshman scored the first goal of her collegiate career.
The Highlanders' scoring run ultimately ended at 14 as the Zips netted the final three goals of the contest.
Morrish, Grogan and Gleason all contributed with hat tricks. Cheney and Tirrell added two goals apiece while Hackney scored once. Grogan posted a game-high nine points and Gleason was not far behind with six. Olivia Hunter played extremely well in goal; the junior registered 12 saves and was pitching a shutout until a few minutes into the final period.
UP NEXT
Radford returns to action on Wednesday, March 29 at Campbell University. The conference matchup against the Fighting Camels will the be the first game of the Highlanders' Big South schedule; the match will start at 6:00 p.m.
FOLLOW RADFORD WOMEN'S LACROSSE
To follow the Radford women's lacrosse team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordWLAX on Twitter, @radfordwlax on Instagram and Radford Women's Lacrosse on Facebook.
