BABSON PARK, Fla. — Eight fourth quarter goals secured the victory for the Gyrenes as they guaranteed their first ever winning season as a program and their first ever berth in the SUN Conference Tournament. Ave Maria beat Webber 18-11 in the season finale.
The first quarter was back-and-forth between the Warriors and the Gyrenes, each netting three goals in the frame. Abbey Seiler scored two goals for the Gyrenes and Anna Bocchino scored the other.
Ave Maria took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring the first four goals of the frame. Seiler got her third goal of the game to start the scoring, After another Gyrene goal off the free position, Hannah Shaffrey connected twice to put Ave Maria up 7-3. Webber scored one goal in the final minute of the half, but the Gyrenes still took a commanding three goal lead into the break.
In the third, the two teams traded three goals each again, keeping the Gyrenes' lead at three goals. Orianna Eldridge scored her first goal of the game, followed by a fourth from Seiler and first from Lily Hynds.
The fourth quarter was really when the Gyrenes started to pour on the goals, outsourcing the Warriors 8-4. Webber scored the first goal of the period to get within two of the Gyrenes, the closest they had been since the second quarter. Ave Maria then scored seven straight goals to ice the game. Shaffrey, Eldridge, and Hynds all got back on the scoresheet during the run while Claire Ichniowski and Alexandra Mazurczak both scored their first goals of the game. Seiler finished the run with two goals, bringing her game total up to six, a season-high for her.
After two Webber goals, Bocchino scored the final goal for the Gyrenes in the final minute of the game. It wasn't the last goal of the game as the Warriors found the back of the net right before time expired, but the Gyrenes still walked off the field with an 18-11 win.
With the win, Ave Maria improves to 7-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play. With a Keiser win over St. Thomas and SCAD win over the Life Running Eagles, the Gyrenes clinched the second seed in the SUN Conference Tournament. This is the second season the SUN Conference has sponsored Women's Lacrosse and the first time the Gyrenes have made the SUN Tournament.
2022 was the last season the Gyrenes made a postseason, getting a bid in the conference tournament back when they were a part of the Mid-South Conference.
The Gyrenes will take on Keiser in the two/three seed matchup Friday, April 19, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The game can be streamed on the Sun Digital Network.
