Pitt
5-13 (0-10ACC)
Clemson
11-6 (4-6ACC)
2024 Pitt Lacrosse Season Concludes in ACC Championship First Round
4/21/2024 9:17:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
CLEMSON, SC – The third season of Pitt Lacrosse has come to an end, as the Panthers fell to the Clemson Tigers 18-15 at Clemson Lacrosse Complex Sunday afternoon in the first round of the 2024 ACC Championship.
Less than 72 hours after the last matchup between the ACC foes, another close contest ensued this time in South Carolina. The two squads went back and forth as they alternated scoring the opening eight goals. Emily Coughlin put the first in the net for Pitt, from an Avery Moon assist (17th on the year). Jenna Hendrickson scored two of her own in the first quarter and Maureen McNierney converted on an early goal too, her 12th of the season. The Panthers closed the opening frame strongly, as Sydney Naylor and Jill Fenech each scored in the last four minutes and gave Pitt the 6-4 lead after 15 minutes.
The even play continued in the second quarter as both offenses converted many of their chances. Moon added to her points tally by scoring her first of the day thanks to fellow freshman Kaitlyn Giandonato providing an assist. Giandonato provided another assist less than four minutes after to Naylor for her second goal of the game to knot the conference clash at 8 goals a piece. An Ava Washington goal with only 10 seconds remaining in the half brought the tally to 10-9 in favor of the Tigers.
The scoring slowed in the second 30 minutes after settling in. The Panthers were only able to convert on two goals in the third period, letting Clemson gain momentum and the lead. Washington put her second in the net and Naylor grabbed another for a hat trick, her sixth game in 2024 with at least three goals. Pitt continued to fight and try to claw back in the fourth, matching Clemson's four goals with four of their own. The final frame tallies came from Naylor, Madigan Lublin, McNierney and Hendrickson, but were not enough to overcome the lead already built by the Tigers as Clemson held on for the 18-15 win.
Naylor led the way for Pitt offensively, with five points (4G, 1A), while Hendrickson polished off her strong junior campaign with another hat trick. She finished the season with 53 points, the second-most in a single season by a Pitt Panther behind five-time All-American Paige Petty (54). Natalie Voorhees and Megan Sheridan put in good defensive shifts, finishing with six ground balls and two caused turnovers between the two of them.
Goalie Audrey Moran finished off another great game in the net for Pitt, with 13 saves, her eighth game in 2024 with at least 10 saves.
Pitt finishes the year at 5-13 as year number three for the young program comes to a close. For all things Pitt Lacrosse in the offseason, follow the Panthers on Instagram and X: @Pitt_WLAX.
