SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV (Feb. 18, 2024) - It was a day later than expected, but Georgian Court Women's Lacrosse finally opened their 2024 season. Due to the snowstorm Friday night and Saturday morning, the Lions and Shepherd University were forced to push their game from Saturday to Sunday. After spotting the Rams an early lead, Georgian Court roared back and held on late for a 14-12 to start the season 1-0.

How it Happened
• Shots and shots on goal were mostly even, as you might expect in a two-goal game. Each team fired 26 shots and GCU put 20 on goal, the Rams 19.
• Each team also turned the ball over 19 times and were each 14-17 on clearance opportunities.
• Shepherd was 5-8 on free-position chances while GCU scored on just 1-3.
• The Lions had a small edge in draw controls, 15-14 and ground balls, 17-14.
First Quarter
• It didn't take long for the scoring to start as the Rams were on the board just 96 seconds into the game.
• That was the start of four straight the Lions spotted the Rams, who led 4-0 still with 8:09 to play in the first.
• GCU had a chance to get on the board with a free-position shot, but missed wide and the Lions were still in search of their first goal.
• That goal finally came at he 5:06 mark as Isabel Raimondi scored from Riley O'Connor's assist.
• Georgian Court scored three straight to cut the lead to 4-3. O'Connor popped one of her own and with less than a minute, Raimondi added her second.
• On the Rams final possession, they pushed the lead back to two, 5-3, scoring on a free-position shot with 19 seconds left and that's how the quarter ended.
Second Quarter
• A freshman and a senior started the scoring for the Lions in the second as they tied the game a little more than four minutes in. Bryleigh Tejchman scored her first collegiate goal and Kasha Elzinga tied the game at five.
• Shepherd answered with a free-position goal to reclaim a 6-5 lead with 10 minutes to play in the half.
• Raimondi picked up a hat trick with her third goal tying the game at six and Remi Reinhardt gave the Lions their first lead of the game, 7-6, at the 6:52 mark.
• Just 14 seconds later, the Lions lit the lamp again. This time Gianna Nardini, falling backwards, slipped one past the goalie for an 8-6 GCU lead.
• Raimondi scored her fourth of the game and the Lions fourth in a row to close the half with GCU up 9-6. The Lions outscored the Rams 6-1 in the second. 
Third Quarter
• Georgian Court pushed their lead to five to start the second half as O'Connor and Tejchman each scored again.
• Tejchman picked up a loose ball in front of the net from a bad Shepherd pass and had an open look at the goal.
• Shepherd hung around scoring two goals in less than three minutes. The second of which came from a Lions turnover and made it an 11-8 game. 
• In the final minute, GCU got one of the goals back as Tejchman found Raimondi for her fifth goal and the Lions took a 12-8 lead into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
• The Lions still held a four-goal lead as Reinhardt found O'Connor putting GCU up 13-9.
• Shepherd scored back-to-back to get to within two, 13-11 with less than seven minutes to play and the Lions called timeout to regroup. 
• The Rams scored their second free-position goal in less than a minute to bring the Lion lead down to just one, 13-12, with six minutes to play. 
• After a defensive stop, the Lions gave themselves some cushion as O'Connor scored her third of the game for a two-goal lead with 3:07 remaining. 
• The Lions won the next draw control and maintained possession for nearly the remainder of the game. By the time Shepherd got back in the offensive zone, there was just 30 seconds left. The Rams couldn't get another shot off and the Lions held on for a 14-12 win.

Lion Stat Leaders
• Isabel Raimondi and Riley O'Connor each totaled seven points. Raimondi scored five goals with two assists. O'Connor scored four with three helpers.
• Bryleigh Tejchman was the only other Lion with multiple goals. She scored two with an assist.
• Remi Reinhardt added a goal with two assists and a team-best 11 draw controls and three ground balls.
• Gianna Nardini and Kasha Elzinga each scored a goal.
• Natalie Moradian stopped seven shots. 

For the Rams
• Paige Stoner scored three times with an assist.
• Katie Paredes picked up two goals and two assists. She also led the Rams with six draw controls.
• Sydney Witmer grabbed a game-high six ground balls. 
• Destiny Rockwell made six saves. 

News and Notes
• Isabel Raimondi scored career goal number 75 and career point number 150. 
• Gianna Nardini played in her first game since the 2022 season. 
• Natalie Moradian got her first start and win in goal for the Lions. 

Up Next
• Georgian Court plays their home opener a week from today, Sunday, Feb. 25 hosting Gannon at 12 p.m.