TicketsKENT, Ohio — The Cincinnati lacrosse team's offense erupted in the second period, outscoring Kent State 9-2 en route to a victory over the Golden Flashes on Friday afternoon at Dix Stadium.
A defensive first period left the teams deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the second. That's when the Bearcats caught fire. Sophomore Paige Selhorn spearheaded a 9-2 scoring run with a goal and three assists, propelling Cincinnati to a 10-3 advantage at the half. That seven-goal cushion proved decisive, and the Bearcats never looked back.
Sophomore draw specialist Morgan Handzel controlled the draw circle, setting a new single-game program record with 16 draws. Junior Lilly Stelzer and Selhorn led the offense, each finishing with five points. Stelzer tallied a hat trick and two assists, while Selhorn contributed two goals and three assists. Kent State was paced by Zayda Crumpton, who netted two goals.
Cincinnati's draw circle dominance was on full display, with the Bearcats winning 18 draws to Kent State's five. UC also held a 28-20 shot advantage on the afternoon.
The opening period was a defensive battle, producing just two scores. Sophomore Alyse Keels got Cincinnati on the board first, finishing off a pass from Brooke Peck, before Crumpton answered to knot the game at one.
The Bearcats' offense came alive in the second. Three different Cincinnati players found the back of the net in the opening minutes to push the lead to 4-1 at the 11:51 mark. A Wolfe goal with just under five minutes remaining then sparked a 4-0 run, capped by Selhorn's three-assist performance, to send Cincinnati into halftime up 10-3.
Stelzer opened the third period by completing her hat trick, and Selhorn added another goal off a Stelzer feed with 3:59 remaining in the quarter to extend the lead to 12-3.
Kent State outscored Cincinnati 3-1 in the fourth, but the Bearcats' lead was never in jeopardy. Payton Kozina capped the scoring with her second goal of the game as Cincinnati closed out the comfortable victory.
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The Bearcats head to Ypsilanti, Mich., to take on Eastern Michigan on Sunday, March 8, at 12 p.m. ET at Scicluna Field.
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