LANCASTER, Pa. (March 11) – Behind a third quarter outburst, the Saint Vincent women's lacrosse team defeated Lancaster Bible 19-12 in a non-conference Friday matinee.

Leading 7-6 at halftime, the Bearcats (2-1) outscored the Chargers (4-0) 7-1 over the third quarter to pull away for the win.

Joey Smith led the Saint Vincent offensive charge, totaling a career-high 12 points, on four goals and eight assists. Bridget Doyle recorded seven points, on three goals and four helpers, while Rachel Thatcher scored four goals and Maggie Edwards three. Caroline Mullineaux (2G), Kaylee Bandow (1G, 1A) and Hannah-Marie Starner (1G, 1A) each totaled two points, while Emily Taylor also scored a goal. 

Saint Vincent owned a commanding 50-22 advantage in shots, while the Bearcats had 23 draw controls to the Chargers' 12, led by 15 from Starner.  

Smith got the Bearcats on the board 52 seconds into the first half with her first goal of the day. After the Chargers scored the tying goal three minutes later, Doyle and Thatcher each scored in a five-minute span to give SVC a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Goals by Starner and Mullineaux pushed the Bearcats in front 5-2 early in the second quarter, but the Chargers answered with a pair of unanswered goals to make it a one-goal game with 9:16 left until the break. The teams would then trade goals over the remainder of the half, with SVC holding the one-goal lead at the intermission.

Smith and Doyle scored 50 seconds apart to push SVC up 9-6 with 11:45 remaining in the third quarter, before the Bearcats exploded for five goals in a four-minute span to open up a 14-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.  

Lancaster Bible twice cut the deficit to six in the fourth quarter, but Taylor and Thatcher each scored over the final two minutes to ice the game.

Juliana Tambellini made four saves to earn the win in goal and was aided by a Bearcat defense that forced 31 Charger turnovers. Thatcher led SVC with three caused turnovers and five ground balls, with Bandow finishing with two caused turnovers and four ground balls.

The Bearcats will now have a three-day layoff before opening Presidents' Athletic Conference play on Monday, March 14, with a 4 p.m. matchup against Waynesburg University at UPMC Field.