Tournament MVP Maeve Brennan scores a career-high six goals, defense keeps ASUN Offensive Player of the Year Ella Rishko out of the net until late in the game.<\/p>\n
For the first time\u00a0in a decade, the\u00a0Jacksonville University women\u2019s lacrosse team<\/a> was playing the role of the hunter instead of the hunted.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Dolphins\u00a0failed to\u00a0win the ASUN regular season title for the first time since 2017, by the margin of a 14-13 loss to Delaware on\u00a0March 26. As a result, they were the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, while the Blue Hens, in their first season in the conference, cruised into\u00a0JU\u2019s Rock Stadium<\/a> with a 7-0 ASUN record and the top seed.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAll the pressure was on Delaware,\u201d said JU junior attack Maeve Brennan<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n And the Dolphins rose to the occasion on May 2. Brennan scored a career-high six goals and the defense held Ella Rishko of Delaware, the ASUN\u2019s Offensive Player of the Year, out of the net for the first 56:57 of the game as JU won 16-11 to clinch the program\u2019s 10th ASUN Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jacksonville (13-5) never trailed, and the game was last tied at 2-2. Sophomore attack Shae Hagans scored the next two goals, on a free-position shot and unassisted to close out the first quarter, junior midfield Julia Nicholson scored her second goal of the game off a Brennan feed, and Brennan added her first goal to give the Dolphins a 6-2 lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n After UD (13-5) cut the lead to 6-4 and 7-5, Brennan\u2019s goal off a Hagans assist gave JU an 8-5 halftime lead. Brennan scored the first goal of the third quarter from a free position and senior attack Ainsley Scruggs scored twice to cap a 4-0 run. The Dolphins never led by less than four goals after that.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jacksonville will discover its NCAA opponent and destination on May 3 during the NCAA Women\u2019s Lacrosse selection show at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rishko finally got a goal with 3:06 left to finish off a 3-0 run for the Hens and shave the margin to 15-11, but Brennan added her final score with 61 seconds left and JU ran out the clock. Rishko’s teammate Maggie Porter did the most damage with three goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nJU defense focused on \u2018that 8 meters\u2019\u00a0 <\/p>\n