LAKELAND, Fla. - The Lynn University women's lacrosse team opened the 2026 season with a hard-fought battle against No. 3 Florida Southern, ultimately falling 13-10 on Friday evening. The matchup was highlighted by a standout performance from Rebecca Clark, the program's second all-time leading goal scorer, who netted four goals on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Florida Southern struck first at the 9:45 mark of the opening quarter to take a 1-0 lead
- Clark answered just three minutes later, scoring her first of the season to even the contest at 1-1
- The Mocs closed the opening frame with two late goals to take a 3-1 lead into the second quarter
- Clark capitalized on a man-up opportunity at 10:04 in the second period to cut the deficit to 3-2
- Florida Southern scored back-to-back goals to take the lead, 5-2
- Hannah Exley converted a man-up free-position goal, and Clark added another free-position strike to make it 5-4
- With 28 seconds remaining in the half, Elizabeth Clagett buried a free-position goal to tie the game at 5-5 heading into halftime
- Florida Southern scored four straight goals, including two man-up tallies, to get a 9-5 advantage
- Exley stopped the run with her second goal of the night at 6:04, sparking a Lynn rally
- Madison Smith and Angelia Huggins followed with back-to-back goals to close the gap to 10-8 before the end of the third
- Clark opened the fourth-quarter scoring with her fourth goal of the evening on a free-position attempt, trimming the deficit to 10-9
- The Mocs answered with three consecutive goals, including a man-up goal, to extend the lead to 13-9 midway through the final frame
- Clagett netted her second goal of the night with 6:02 remaining, but Lynn was unable to close the gap further as Florida Southern secured the 13-10 decision
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Clark led the offense with four goals on 12 shots, including two free-position goals and one man-up tally
- She also recorded two draw controls and three caused turnovers
- Exley finished with two goals, converting one man-up free-position opportunity
- Clagett had two goals and three caused turnovers
- Huggins and Smith each tallied one goal
- Goalkeeper Ava Ceglia made seven saves across 60 minutes of action while adding three ground balls
- Lynn held advantages in ground balls (19-14) while converting 5-of-8 free-position opportunities
UP NEXT:
- Lynn returns to Boca Raton to host Colorado Mesa for the home opener on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1:00 p.m.
