Allentown, Pa, – Eastern University Women's lacrosse controlled possession early and recorded 13 assists on the way to a 21-7 win at Cedar Crest College. With five goals and four assists, Gracie Horton recorded a career-best nine-point day. Teresa Gailey had five goals and three assists and match-high 12 draw controls.

With a dominant showing at the draw control circle, the Eagles forged a lead early. Eastern won 8-of-10 first-quarter draws. Gailey won the first four draws and five of the first six as the Eagles jumped to a 5-0 lead by the midpoint of the first quarter. Gailey scored twice, and Emerson Shauger, Caitlyn Quizon, and Ellie Pruitt each added single tallies in the opening burst.

The host Falcons answered with a three-goal run before Horton converted a free-position attempt late to put the Eagles up 6-3 at the first quarter break. The Eagles had a 13-6 edge in first quarter shots. Annie Gough helped the Eagles to build the lead with two saves in each quarter.

After the Falcons opened the scoring in the second, the Eagles responded with five of the next six goals. Shauger scored twice for an 8-4 Eastern lead with five minutes to play in the half. She then found Quizon for a goal with 4:20 to play. Less than forty seconds later, Gailey set up Horton for a 10-4 lead. Quizon scored the final goal of the half with 81 seconds left.

Cedar Crest scored the opening goals in both the third and the fourth quarters, but the Eastern defense gave nothing more. The Eagles outscored their hosts 6-1 in the third and 4-1 in the fourth.

For the game, Shauger, Pruitt, and Quizon each had three goals. Shauger finished with a team-best five assists. Ava Weiman and Kaleigh Hess-Davila added single goals.

The Eastern defense welcomed Sarah Hunte back into the mix after extended time off for injury, and the extra depth helped the Eagles to limit the Falcons to just 15 shots on goal and to force their hosts into shots where Gough had opportunities to make saves.

"This was a total team win," Head Coach Mikala Gillespie said after the game. "We were focused on our game plan and scored some very nice team goals."

The Eagles will head back into MAC Commonwealth competition with a 1:00 pm test against Stevenson on Saturday. Eastern will honor seniors Sara Haas, Alyse Hand, Ellie Pruitt, and Caitlyn Quizon before the game.