WESTMINSTER, Md. – Senior Emily Funk (Salisbury, MD/Parkside) saved her best for last, netting a career-high six goals and seven points to lead McDaniel to a 19-14 victory over Cabrini and the ECAC South Region women's lacrosse tournament championship on Sunday.

In addition to Funk's outing, which earned her most valuable player honors, the Green Terror seniors accounted for 16 of the team's 25 points, including three goals by Meagan Mattson (Mt. Airy, MD/South Carroll).

Connie Wuenschel (Sykesville, MD/South Carroll) and Michelle Mullen (Pasadena, MD/Chesapeake) added two goals apiece for McDaniel (14-5). Mullen added two assists.

Erin Nollen led the top-seeded Cavaliers (16-5) with four goals while Kerrie Ricker and Emilie Greto each had three goals.

Knotted at 11-all after two straight Ricker tallies, the second of which capped a fast-break clear, Funk notched her fifth goal of the game to give the Green Terror the lead for good with 10 minutes to play.

Chelsea Ferruzzi (Jenkintown, PA/Jenkintown) converted the third of four McDaniel free-position goals 1 minute, 19 seconds later to stretch the lead to 13-11.

Nollen finished a solo run 19 seconds later to cut the deficit in half but Mullen and Mattson netted unassisted markers 11 seconds apart to push the lead to 15-12 with 7:19 showing.

Greto pulled Cabrini within 15-13 just over a minute later but Mattson converted a free-position shot before Kerrie Wuenschel (Sykesville, MD/South Carroll) completed her hat trick 30 seconds later. Older sister Connie finished her collegiate career with her ninth multi-goal game of the season 23 seconds after that for an 18-13 lead.

After a fourth yellow card forced the Cavaliers to play a player down, Katelyn Penrose and Funk traded tallies 40 seconds apart to set the final margin.

Erinn Hopkins (Monrovia, MD/Urbana) opened the scoring off Funk's lone assist of the game with 3:53 elapsed. Funk got a goal of her own three minutes later to stake the Green Terror to a 2-0 lead.

Unassisted tallies by Katie Fanourgakis and Greto drew Cabrini even with 18:17 showing in the first period.

Knotted at 4-all midway through the period, Greto added a second unassisted marker to give the Cavaliers their lone lead of the game 18 seconds after Nollen tied the game.

Mattson started a four-goal flurry to give McDaniel an 8-5 lead with 7:36 remaining in the first half. April Kauffman and Funk traded goals to make it a 9-6 game at the break.

Nollen pulled Cabrini within 9-7 before K. Wuenschel and Mullen stretched the lead to 11-7 with goals 25 seconds apart.

The Green Terror, the two seed in the tournament, held a significant advantage in nearly every statistical category, including shots (40-22), ground balls (29-17) and draw controls (23-11).

2007-05-13