On a warm day with temperatures in the 80’s, the Mercy lacrosse team started its IAAM B Conference season with a hard fought 11-7 road win at Annapolis Area Christian, on Friday.

Playing on a muddy field proved physically and mentally challenging, but the Magic was able to outlast the host Eagles to start the year at 1-0.

AACS jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but Mercy tied things with a goal from senior Anna Mohlhenrich, at the 20:28 mark, then went on top 3-1 on goals from Marybeth Bindel and Shannon Aikens.  The Eagles, however, responded with three consecutive goals of their own claim a 4-3 advantage with 8:33 remaining in the opening half.

The offensive runs continued, with Mercy coming back with a a four goal spree.  Aiken started it with her second goal.  That was followed by a score by sophomore Aubrey Wetzelberger and two goals by
junior Emily Borkowski, as the Magic went to the half with a 7-4 lead.

The second half was scoreless until the 15:04 mark when Bindel scored her second of the game off a feed by Wetzelberger.  AACS would not give up easily and cut the score to 8-6 with two goals in the next two minutes.

Mercy junior attacker Taylor Hicks then scored two straight goals within 15 seconds to give Mercy its second four goal lead, at 12:32, and Borkowski notched her third with 5:22 remaining to push the lead to five.

AACS would keep up the attack and scored its final goal of the game with 2:33 left. That would prove to be all of the scoring however,
and Mercy ran out the remaining time to secure the win.

The Mercy defense, anchored by goalie Maggie Lawder’s six saves, kept AACS scoreless for a 20 minute stretch from the end of the first half to the 14:33 minute mark of the second, allowing the Magic offense to build enough of a lead to get the win.

Defenders Lexie Sabie, Iris Holback, Maggie Lauf, Caitlin Shanahan, Abby Callahan and Sam Hruz all contributed.  Offensive players Beth Lauf, Taylor Villarreal, Jamie Adelsberger, Tori Bruno and Kendall Middlecamp also contributed meaningful minutes in the win.

Borkowski led all scorers with three goals and two assists, Hicks had two goals and an assist, Wetzelberger finished with one goals and two assists, and Bindel and Aikens each had two goals.  In addition, Mohlhenrich had an assist to go with her goals and Karlie Dougherty added two assists.  Eight of the 11 Mercy goals were assisted.

Emily McBee, Wetzelberger and Bindel led the ground ball effort with five each.  Wetzelberger also forced a game high four turnovers.