Sparks, Md. – Senior attacker Jessica Meneilly (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) scored a career-high seven goals to lead the fourth-ranked Le Moyne College women's lacrosse team to an 18-13 victory over top-ranked and defending national champion Lindenwood University on Sunday afternoon at Tierney Field.

"For the first meeting between these two programs, I would say that was one heck of a game!" said head coach Liz Beville. "Today, we saw players fill their roles to perfection. From Jess Meneilly going 7-for-7 shooting, to Adrianna Nojaim securing 12 draw controls, to defense locking it down and the sideline bringing the energy - that was a TEAM win and I could not be more proud!"


Meneilly is just the sixth Dolphin to record seven goals in a game in the program's Division II era (2011-present) and the seven goals are the most by a Dolphin against a top-five ranked opponent. Her previous career-high was six, which she accomplished four times, including on Tierney Field on March 12, 2020 against the University of Indianapolis.

The Dolphins earn their third-ever victory over a #1 ranked team and their second straight (2-9 vs. Adelphi, 0-1 vs. LIU Post).

Lindenwood, which won its first national championship last year, opened the game's scoring at the 12:28 mark as Meredith Parry scored in front of the net off a pass in an extra-player situation from Emma Arnold, who was lined up for a free-position shot.

Le Moyne answered with a pair of goals in a span of 45 seconds. Graduate student midfielder Sydney Meagher (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) evened the score at one with her first goal of the season with 11:09 remaining. Following a foul on the Lions, senior midfielder Adrianna Nojaim (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) buried a free-position shot with 10:24 to go for her second tally of the season.

The Lions responded with four consecutive goals to take a three-goal advantage. Logann Eldredge tied the score at two with 7:47 left off a free-position shot. Paige Sutton put Lindenwood back in front with 6:18 remaining with an unassisted marker. After two Le Moyne turnovers, Bridget Considine tallied her 14th goal of the season with 3:49 to go in the quarter. Eldredge capped the run 36 seconds later after taking a feed in an extra-player situation from Meghan Rea.

Le Moyne countered with the final two goals of the first quarter. Graduate student attacker Erin McMullen (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) got the Dolphins within two with 2:25 left off a feed from sophomore midfielder Reilly Geer (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill). Meneilly made it a one-goal game with 1:22 remaining after collecting a pass from Nojaim.

The Dolphins extended their run to six straight goals with the first four of the second quarter. Meneilly tied the score for the third and final time just 49 seconds into the stanza after taking a pass from Meagher. Lindenwood looked like it regained the lead with 11:37 left, but the goal scorer's stick was deemed to be illegal and the goal was taken away. The Dolphins took the lead with 10:12 left as freshman attacker Grace Detor (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) tallied her first career goal off a pass in transition from graduate student midfielder Lauren Ferris (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee). Meneilly followed with her third goal of the game with 8:19 to go off a feed from Geer. Less than one minute later, Geer recorded another assist on a pass to Meagher.

Lindenwood snapped the streak at the 6:48 mark as Sutton netted her ninth goal of the season on a free-position shot.

The Dolphins scored the final two goals of the quarter to take a 10-6 lead into halftime. McMullen pushed Le Moyne's lead back to three with her sixth tally of the season with 6:15 left. Meneilly followed 52 seconds later with her sixth of the year off a dished from Nojaim.

Third-year sophomore goalkeeper Paige Crandall (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) made three saves over the final 4:40 of the half to keep Le Moyne's lead at four.

The teams exchanged goals over the opening 12 minutes of the third quarter. Meneilly opened the scoring at the 13:28 mark off a pass from Detor, who had just run on to the field following a card. Hennessey Evans answered at the 8:28 mark off a dish from Lindsey Smith to get the Lions back within four. Nojaim pushed the lead back to five goals with 3:42 remaining.

Considine started a three-goal run for the Lions with her 15th goal of the season at the 3:03 mark off a feed from Eldredge. The duo reversed roles as time expired in the quarter to pull the Lions within three after 45 minutes of play.

Eldredge made it 12-10 at the 10:18 mark of the fourth quarter off a feed from Sutton in an extra-player situation.

Le Moyne regained control of the game with the next three goals. Meneilly netted her sixth goal of the game with 9:32 remaining off another dish from Geer. She scored again with 6:00 left to set a new career high. Detor put the Dolphins back up by five with her second goal of the day.

The Lions answered back with a pair of goals in a span of just 25 seconds. Breylin Bright scored with 4:43 left off a pass from Considine. Sara Grieco got the Lions back within three with her seventh goal of the campaign off a dish from Eldredge.

The Dolphins put the game away with three goals in a span of 93 seconds. McMullen found the back of the net for the third time with 3:01 left off a pass from Nojaim and then scored her fourth 24 seconds later off a feed from Geer, her fifth helper of the contest. The duo traded roles with 1:28 to play to complete the team's scoring. Geer's five assists in the game are the most by a Dolphin since Bryanna Fazio on March 16, 2019. With the assist on the last goal, McMullen tied Erica Geremia '16 for the sixth-most points in the program's history with 230.

Considine finished off the game's scoring by converting a free-position shot in an extra-player situation with 13 seconds left.

Crandall finished the contest with five saves to earn the victory. Eleanor Kast recorded six saves in the loss for the Lions. In addition to her five points, Nojaim became just the fourth Dolphin to record 12 draw controls and added three ground balls.

Le Moyne (2-0), which has won 35 straight regular season games, continues its season-opening streak of facing ranked opponents by hosting second-ranked Indianapolis on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.