WINCHESTER, Va. - The Shenandoah University women's lacrosse team clinched a spot in the four-team USA South Conference Tournament with a 17-5 league win over visiting Agnes Scott Friday afternoon.

Shenandoah (7-5, 4-1 USA South) knows it will be part of the four-team field in Burlington, N.C. beginning on April 16 with the win over the Scotties (4-6, 2-4).

The tournament will be played as part of the fifth annual USA South Conference Spring Sports Festival at Burlington's Springwood Park. This is the second consecutive year that SU has qualified for the tourney.

With two games left, SU is one-half game out of first place and can tie for the regular season title with wins tomorrow against LaGrange and next Saturday versus Christopher Newport.

Despite cruising to the 12-goal victory Saturday afternoon on a perfect day at Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium, the Hornets found themselves down a goal 10 minutes into the game.

After scoring the initial two goals of the game, the Hornets could only watch as ASC reeled off three straight to take a 3-2 lead with 19:59 to play in the first.

The deficit lasted barely a minute before freshman Sydney Anderson tied the game at 3-3 with a free position goal at 18:46. Just over two minutes later, Anderson fed sophomore Kierra Nicholson right in front and Shenandoah would lead the rest of the way.

Anderson's goal, one of two she had on the day, started a 10-1 SU run to finish the first half.

The Hornets took a 12-4 lead into the halftime intermission and after scoring the first four goals of the second, took the air out of the ball for the remaining 15 minutes.

SU owned a 36-14 advantage in shots, won 20 of 31 groundballs and 16 of 24 draw controls.

Junior Sara Mucciaro paced the victors with four goals while Morgan Fields had three and Anderson and Nicholson two each.

Rebecca Rowe and Clarissa Boggs-Blake had two goals each for the Scotties. ASC keeper Mia Jacintho made 13 saves.

Saturday's game with LaGrange begins at 11 a.m.

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