ASHLAND, Ohio – Gannon women's lacrosse battled through a tight opening half, briefly holding a one-goal advantage, but Ashland used a strong second- and third-quarter surge to pull away for a 13–7 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Ferguson Field.

The Golden Knights briefly held a 3–2 lead early in the second quarter following back-to-back goals from Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and Charlie Hunter (Boston, N.Y./Hamburg), but the Eagles responded with five unanswered goals to close the half and carried the momentum into the third.

THE GAME FACTS
Score: Ashland 13, Gannon 7
Records: Gannon 1–2 | Ashland 2–1
Location: Ferguson Field – Ashland, Ohio
Date: February 25, 2026

THE KNIGHT CAP

• Veltre Paces the Offense: Isabella Veltre (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) recorded a team-high three goals on four shots to lead Gannon offensively.
• Hunter All-Around Performance: Charlie Hunter (Boston, N.Y./Hamburg) finished with three points, totaling one goal and two assists.
•  Playmakers on the Attack: Hunter dished out two assists, while Megan Lang (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) and Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) each added one.
•  Finnegan Stands Tall in Goal: Riley Finnegan (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) made 14 saves, facing 40 Ashland shots throughout the contest.
•  Early Second-Quarter Lead: Gannon briefly held a 3–2 advantage early in the second quarter following goals from Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and Charlie Hunter (Boston, N.Y./Hamburg).
•  Eagles' Late-First-Half Run: Ashland closed the first half on a 6–1 run to take an 8–3 lead into the break.
•  Late Push by the Knights: Gannon scored three times in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Veltre's third goal of the afternoon.
•  Ground Ball Edge: Gannon held a 30–26 advantage in ground balls, highlighting strong effort across the midfield.
•  Ground Ball Leaders: Finnegan finished with a game-high 13 ground balls, while Hunter, Madi Kivitt (Coral Springs, Fla./American Heritage School), and Lyndsey Zuber (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima Senior) each added three.
•  Draw Control Contributors: Rayla Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) led Gannon with three draw controls, while Madelyn Lemmon (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) added two and Hunter chipped in one.
•  Caused Turnovers: Lexi Cwiklinski (Upper St. Clair, Pa./Upper Saint Clair), Charlie Hunter (Boston, N.Y./Hamburg), and Riley Finnegan (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) each recorded a caused turnover.

UP NEXT
Gannon begins its spring break two-game road trip in Tennessee on Saturday, February 28, as the Golden Knights open play at Lincoln Memorial with a 3 p.m. start.

This story was written using the support of AI.