The Winthrop University women’s lacrosse team lost to Furman University, 16-13, on April 18 at Eagle Field. The Eagles held a lead entering the final quarter, but a strong finish by the Paladins secured their victory.
The game was closely contested throughout, with both teams exchanging leads multiple times. This matchup is significant as it marked the first time since 2022 that Winthrop scored double-digit goals against Furman, reflecting improvements in their offensive play.
Furman’s Shae Insinga opened the scoring early in the first quarter. Winthrop’s Iris Leavitt quickly tied it up with a free position goal before Furman regained control through goals from Lily Toole and Skylar Hilmer. Tori Iannotti led Winthrop’s response with two extra man goals in the opening period and would go on to score five goals and provide two assists during the match.
In the second quarter, Iannotti again found success on a player-up opportunity assisted by Mollie Calabrese. Ava-Claire Collins tied things up later in the half before Gabby Pierpont put Winthrop ahead for the first time. Calabrese capped off an active half with another goal just before halftime, giving Winthrop a narrow lead.
After halftime, Audrey Argonish extended Winthrop’s advantage briefly before Furman responded to tie and then reclaim momentum following a yellow card assessed to Abigail Hand of Winthrop. The third quarter ended level at 11-11 after another goal from Leavitt.
The fourth quarter saw Marin Hodor of Furman break the deadlock. Despite Collins and Leavitt each tying it for Winthrop during this period, Furman’s Allie Kandel scored while her team had an extra player on field and further goals from Toole and Hodor gave them breathing room late in regulation. Reynolds Hester sealed Furman’s win with under two minutes remaining.
Despite falling short, Mikaylah Lindsay made ten saves for Winthrop as they outshot their opponent on target attempts—a sign of progress for their offense heading into future contests.
