Women's Lacrosse Uses 9-0 Closing Run To Stun No. 22 Penn State, 18-13

Saturday, February 24

University Park, Pa.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

1-1

No. 22 Penn State

2-2

Princeton

Penn State WLAX

Women's Lacrosse Uses 9-0 Closing Run To Stun No. 22 Penn State, 18-13

February 24, 2024 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Princeton turned on the jets and slammed the door on No. 22 Penn State, putting together a 9-0 run over the game's final 19:27 to turn a 13-9 deficit into an 18-13 win in Happy Valley.

The Tigers held the Nittany Lions scoreless over the game's final 20:14, with Amelia Hughes making four key saves in the fourth quarter to allow her offense to go to work and stun the Nittany Lions.

8:58 (4Q) DEFNSE ??OFFENSE??THE LEAD!

Great effort from all three phases and Jami MacDonald scores to give the Tigers a 14-13 lead!@ILWomen | @USALacrosseMag | @NCAALAX pic.twitter.com/5z8KmagLZL
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) February 24, 2024

McKenzie Blake had five goals in the game for the Tigers – her fifth of the game giving her 100 career points – while also winning a career-high eight draw controls.

McKenzie Blake goes downhill and uncorks her 2nd of the day! pic.twitter.com/cxus8OfpXD
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) February 24, 2024

Jami MacDonald had six points, scoring three times and dishing out three assists which tied her career high.

Sophie Whiteway, Haven Dora, and Ella Sloan each had two goals in the contest – Sloan scoring the first two goals of her career. Seniors Kari Buonanno and Grace Tauckus each had a goal and an assist.

11:15 (4Q) WELCOME TO THE SCORESHEET, ELLA SLOAN!

The first-year Tiger scores her first career goal and we're within one! pic.twitter.com/IOiKaQL1e4
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) February 24, 2024

Ellie Mueller won nine draw controls to tie her career high.

In the first quarter, the two teams went back and forth as Blake and Haven Dora scored 1:13 apart to answer and early Nittany Lion goal and give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Penn State would counter with the next three, taking a 4-2 lead with 0:29 left in the first quarter. Blake would then get the Tigers within one before the end of the opening period, finishing off a Samantha DeVito pass with just 0:05 remaining in the first.

The goal from Blake started a four-goal Princeton run as the Tigers took a 6-4 lead 3:45 into the second quarter. The Nittany Lions would net five of the next six goals to regain a two-goal lead at 9-7 with 3:34 left in the first half. The lead was almost three before Amelia Hughes stopped a free position with just over 2:00 remaining in the half, a save which sent the Tigers downfield in transition and ultimately led to Blake's fourth goal of the game off an assist from Kari Buonanno with 1:41 to play.

13:29 (2Q) TIE GAME!

Meg Morrisroe takes a Grace Tauckus feed and makes it a 4-4 game at Penn State! pic.twitter.com/9Y5erjmthW
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) February 24, 2024

The third quarter was all Penn State as the Nittany Lions scored four times to build a 13-9 lead with 5:14 remaining in the third period when Kristin O'Neill scored her fourth goal of the game to seemingly give the Nittany Lions all the momentum.

Instead, Princeton countered quickly with a Sophie Whiteway goal with 4:27 left in the third. At the time, it seemed like a chance to stem the tide and give Princeton a chance to claw back in. Instead, it ignited Princeton's offense in a way it hadn't been in a while.

Whiteway's goal sparked the 9-0 run to close the game, with six different Tigers scoring at least one goal.

Samantha DeVito needed just 0:09 of the fourth quarter to score and close the Tigers to within two. Then, it was Ella Sloan who took a Buonanno feed and fired home her first career goal with 11:15 remaining.

It was Whiteway again to tie the game with 10:36 remaining as she caught a pass from Dora and then shoveled home her second of the afternoon to make it 13-13.

MacDonald netted the eventual game-winner with 8:58 to play, but the credit goes to almost everyone on the field as a swarming Princeton defensive unit caused a turnover which then led to quick transition down the field before Tauckus found MacDonald open in front for the score.

4:11 (4Q) SOME CANADIAN CHAOS!

Jami MacDonald barrels her way to goal for a hat trick and a 17-13 lead! pic.twitter.com/7s0ZXJsSQI
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) February 24, 2024

It was rapid fire from there as Sloan, Blake, MacDonald and Buonanno poured it on before one final free position save from Amelia Hughes with just over 2:00 to play ended any thoughts of a Penn State rally.

Coming Up Hughes!

This Amelia Hughes stop all but seals the deal at Penn State! pic.twitter.com/MkpcuiWfAZ
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) February 24, 2024

The Tigers will play their first home game of 2024 on February 28, hosting Rutgers at Class of 1952 Stadium. Opening draw with the Scarlet Knights is set for 7 p.m.