Gazzola's Four Goals Help Gophers Women's Lacrosse Dig Back Into Match In 17-12 Win Against Bryn Mawr

BALTIMORE, Md. – Julia Gazzola (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) keyed a 10-0 run with four goals to help rally Goucher College past Bryn Mawr College 17-12 in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Thursday.

Trailing 9-5 with 25 minutes remaining, Gazzola started the comeback with a free-position goal at 23:29. The freshman then scored back-to-back tallies to tie the game and give the Gophers (4-2) the lead for good at 20:21 and 17:57. She added a goal with 12:48 left in the game.

Gazzola tied her career high in goals (4) and points (5). It is the third time this season the freshman has recorded a hat trick and her second four-goal performance. Gazzola ranks second on the squad with 14 goals and seven assists for 21 points. She also notched a personal-best four ground balls and four caused turnovers while recording six draw controls. She has registered six or more draw controls in four of the six games this season. 

Shannon Stull (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) led Goucher with five goals and two assists for seven points. The junior has registered at least four goals four times this season and 10 times in her career. Stull leads the team and the Landmark Conference in goals (26) and points (34) while ranking sixth in assists (6).

Camryn Agostino (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) added two goals and two assists while Alyssa Long (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) posted two goals and an assist and Soleil Gagne (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) also found the twine twice in the winning effort.

The game did not start the way that Goucher would have hoped and was held at bay by the Bryn Mawr netminder for the first 45 minutes of the game. In the final 25 minutes, the Gophers went on a 10-0 run and closed the match scoring 11 of the final 14 markers to earn their fourth win of the season.

After the Owls scored consecutive tallies to take its largest lead at 9-5, the Goucher rally began with a Gazzola 8-meter tally at 24:24. Long found the back of the net off a Gabrielle Umstead (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) feeder at 23:29. Stull scored off a Agostino assist at 20:51 before Jordan Tice (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) connected with Gazzola for the game-tying goal at 20:21 and the go-ahead tally at 17:57 for a 10-9 edge.

The offensive outburst continued with a Stull free-position goal at 14:25 before the junior set up Agostino at 14:09 for a three-goal lead. After Gazzola scored for the fourth time unassisted at 12:38, Alex DiGiovanni (York, Pa./Dover) (11:32) and Stull (11:15) capped the run with unassisted markers for a 15-9 lead.

Gagne found the twine off a Long feeder at 2:19 and Umstead sealed the 17-12 victory with a tally off an Agostino assist in the waning seconds of the match.

Goucher started the game by taking 2-1 lead after Bryn Mawr started the scoring. Long tied the game unassisted at 27:24 before Gagne took a pass from Stull at 19:54 for a one-goal lead.

The Owls scored the next two goals before Agostino tied the match at 3 off a feeder from Gazzola at 12:57. Bryn Mawr then rolled off the next three tallies to take a 6-3 lead. Stull answered on a free-position goal at 6:41, but Bryn Mawr closed the half with a goal to take a 7-4 edge at the break.

Stull got the scoring started in the final frame on an 8-meter goal 47 seconds into the period.

The Owls registered the next two goals to take a 9-5 lead only to see the Gophers get out of its burrow and rally for the victory.

Abbie McHerron (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills) made 18 saves while Katarina Molchen (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) paced the defense with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Goucher returns to action on Saturday at home against Gwynedd Mercy. Match time is 1 p.m.