ROME, Ga. | The Young Harris College women's lacrosse team scored the first seven goals as they recorded a 19-2 Gulf South Conference women's lacrosse match Saturday (Feb. 10) afternoon at Ben Brady Field.

The Mountain Lions, who have won the past two GSC regular-season and postseason titles, improved to 1-0 overall and to 1-0 in the GSC and gave  Samantha Hurley her first win as a head coach, while Shorter fell to 0-1 and 0-1. Young Harris returns home to face the University of Alabama in Huntsville Saturday (Feb. 17) in a  1 p.m. GSC match at the YHC Soccer and Lacrosse Field. UAH shared the GSC regular-season title  in 2017.

Rachel Lepine and Nicole Kernohan each scored twice as the Mountain Lions raced out to a 7-0 lead with 20:49 remaining in the first half. After Shorter scored a goal, Young Harris scored the next eight goals. Erica Cross and Anna Luckie had two goals apiece during the second outburst.

The Hawks scored right before the half to go into the locker room down 15-2. Young Harris held the Hawks scoreless in the second half as the Mountain Lions added four goals to their tally

Young Harris outshot Shorter 32-4 and won 19 of the 22 draw controls. The Mountain Lions also scooped up 18 ground balls.

Lepine led the scoring for Young Harris with three goals, while Cross, Leigh Anne Turner, Kernohan, Mary Deatrick and Luckie each deposited two goals in the back of the net. Hayley Bartlett, Kendra Parenteau, Channing Milford, Elli Flaig and Katie McNutt registered a goal apiece.  Hayley Bartlett, Parenteau, and Meghan Tonnesen had two assists each, while Cross, Lepine and Turner tallied one each.

Lepine had nine draw controls for the Mountain Lions while Tonnesen had four more. Tonnesen corralled four ground balls, while Lepine and Kernohan had three each.

Julia Darroch and Rachel Robb played a half each in goal for the Mountain Lions, while Darroch posting two saves.