Presbyterian College defeated Manhattan 13-12 in a closely contested women’s lacrosse game at Bailey Memorial Stadium, according to a March 15 announcement. Sophomore striker Emily Currie scored the match-winning goal with just 23 seconds remaining, securing the non-conference victory for the Blue Hose.
The win marks Presbyterian’s third of the season and their second at home. The team will now have a 10-day break before returning to play against Furman on Wednesday, March 25. Head coach Eric Clakeley said his club will use this time to prepare for upcoming Big South Conference games.
Currie led all scorers with six goals, four of which came in the second half. She was responsible for all three of Presbyterian’s goals in the final period and was described as having captained the offense through challenging moments. Alyssa Perez and Madeleine Lowrance also contributed multiple goals, while freshman Hope Lunardi recorded her first collegiate score just before halftime.
The game remained close throughout, with neither team leading by more than one point at any time. Manhattan took a brief lead late in the second quarter, but Presbyterian tied the score several times before Currie’s decisive shot. Senior defenseman Avery West led her team in ground ball pickups with six and helped hold Manhattan scoreless for the last eleven minutes of play alongside Miranda Castilla, who combined for seven caused turnovers.
Goalkeeper Kayleigh Aitken started and played over forty minutes before Morgan Thompson finished out the match, allowing only one goal during her time on the field. Despite being outdrawn on controls by a margin of 17-8, Presbyterian forced 21 turnovers and converted nearly seventy percent of their shots on goal.
This contest was only the second meeting between Presbyterian and Manhattan; PC avenged a previous loss from 2018. With this result, Manhattan becomes the thirty-fifth program to lose to Presbyterian since its move to Division I competition.
