USC Lacrosse Claims 15-7 Win Over Mercer

MACON, Ga. – The USC lacrosse team (3-0) outpaced Mercer (1-1) to take a 15-7 win over the Bears at Five Star Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 20. Three Trojans scored hat tricks in the victory to help USC start a season 3-0 for the fourth time in program history.
 
KEY PLAYERS

• So. attacker Claudia Shevitz secured her first-career hat trick and set new career marks with five goals and six points. She also led all players with eight draw controls.
• Gr. midfielder Kelsey Huff scored four goals (or more) for the eighth time in her career and produced her 25th-career hat trick. Huff also had the highlight of the day scoring her fourth goal behind-the-back and added two ground balls.
• So. attacker Shelby Tilton scored three goals for the second time in as many games for her second-career hat trick.
• Redshirt Fr. attacker Isabelle Vitale had two points (1g, 1a) to go with two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• So. attacker Maggie Brown scored the first two goals of her career and picked up a ground ball and a draw control.
• On defense, Jr. defender Danielle Carson led all players with three ground balls and caused two turnovers. Sr. defender Kaleigh Brennan picked up two ground balls and caused one turnover. Jr. defender Olivia Dooley had one ground ball and caused two turnovers.
• In goal, So. Kait Devir picked up seven saves and Fr. Mia Fleming had one.
• For Mercer, Hailey Rhatigan, Erin Degnan, and Shannon Urey each scored two goals apiece. Rhatigan also had two assists. In goal, Iseabal Cryne had 14 saves in the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Five different Trojans scored goals and three had hat tricks as USC outshot Mercer, 35-24. The Trojans also won the battle for ground balls, 16-11, and had the edge in the center circle by a 17-9 count.
• USC scored the first five goals of the game and led by four after the first quarter. The Trojans went 4-2 in the second quarter—as Shevitz secured her hat trick—to lead by six at halftime, 9-3.
• Out of the break, Huff, Tilton, and Shevitz scored three in a row to make it 12-3 for the Women of Troy. Huff's goal to open the fourth made it another nine-goal lead for USC, 13-4, but Mercer scored back-to-back goals in under a minute to bring the game back to a seven-goal Trojan advantage.
• Huff's behind-the-back bell ringer and Brown's second goal of the day put the game out of reach at 6:16 in the fourth quarter. Mercer's Degnan scored one more with under a minute to play to make it a 15-7 final.

UP NEXT

• USC has the bye next week before returning to action on March 8 at home against No. 16 Princeton. The Trojans will also open Pac-12 play that weekend as hosts to Colorado (March 11) and Oregon (March 13) at McAlister Field.

GAME NOTES

• USC and Mercer met for the first time. 
• The Trojans played their first-ever game in the Peach State (1-0).
• USC improved to 16-17 all-time in games played in the Eastern Time zone. The Trojans go to 46-25 all-time in road games.
• For the third game (of three), three different Trojans recorded hat tricks.
• USC opens a season 3-0 for the fourth time in program history (2016, '19, '20).
• Sr. midfielder Katie Ramsay moved into seventh all-time at USC for career draw controls (67).
• Gr. midfielder Kelsey Huff moved into sixth place at USC for career points (146; 126 goals, 20 assists).

For more information on the USC women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCTrojansLax.