East Carolina got the game-winning goal with 1.9 seconds left to stun Vanderbilt Saturday, while James Madison and South Florida came away with key conference wins to set up a showdown next week for a share of the conference title.
James Madison will finish the weekend in first place in the American Athletic Conference standings at 4-0 in league play, while South Florida stands at 4-1. The teams will meet next Saturday in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a share of the conference regular-season title on the line.
East Carolina, meanwhile, stands at 3-1 in The American and would gain a share of the regular-season title with wins in its final two conference games (at Charlotte next Saturday, vs. James Madison April 26).
EAST CAROLINA 14, VANDERBILT 13
GREENVILLE, N.C. The East Carolina lacrosse team defeated Vanderbilt in Senior Day a 14-13 thriller on Saturday afternoon in Johnson Stadium in an American Athletic Conference contest. Riley Matthiesen scored the game-winning goal with 1.9 seconds remaining.
The Pirates (5-8, 3-1 American) scored the last three goals of the game in the final 2:45 to overcome what had been a 13-11 Vanderbilt lead.
Leah Bestany scored four goals for the Pirates and fed Matthiesen for the gamewinner in the closing seconds. Erin Gulden had a hat trick, including a key goal with 26 seconds left to tie the game at 13-13.
Matthiese, meanwhile, came up with late-game heroics once again for the Pirates. She had scored the overtime gamewinner in the Pirates' March 29 win against Temple.
JAMES MADISON 18, TEMPLE 4
PHILADELPHIA - Maddie Epke scored eight goals and won 15 draw controls as No. 13/12 James Madison scored the first eight goals of the game and never looked back in an 18-4 win against Temple.
Epke had a hat trick as part of the Dukes' opening run as JMU raced to a 10-1 lead early in the second quarter. The eight goals are the most by an American Athletic Conference player in a game this season.
James Madison finished with a 46-12 advantage in shots and a 19-7 advantage in draw controls.
The win liftts JMU to 4-0 in The American (9-4 overall), giving the Dukes a chance to clinch a share of the conference's regular-season title with a win in either of its next two conference games.
SOUTH FLORIDA 15, OLD DOMINION 10
TAMPA, Fla. - Sofia Chepenik scored four goals and South Florida outscored Old Dominion 7-1 in the second half to take a 15-10 win Saturday, clinching a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship in the Bulls' first season of varsity competition.
Old Dominion had scored the first four goals of the game and held a 6-2 lead after the first quarter, but the Bulls were able to chip away thanks to their aggressive ride (limiting ODU to 12-of-25 on clears) and a 16-11 advantage in the draw circle.
Midfielder Kali Cleary had two goals and three assists for the Bulls.
Old Dominion got four goals from midfielder Sylvia Mayo, but the Monarchs were unable to stave off a fourth consecutive loss.
South Florida heads to James Madison next Saturday and would clinch a share of The American's regular-season title with a win.