Box Score CONWAY, S.C. – The Elon women's lacrosse team posted its third straight win and first of the season on the road today, March 8, with a 12-10 victory at Coastal Carolina.
 
Elon (3-3) picked up a season-high 27 ground balls and won 12 draw controls as five players scored on the day. Olivia Fernandez and Sydney Hesselbein each netted three goals, while Molly Garrigan, Anna Vitton and Annie Shenk all contributed two. Garrigan, Fernandez and Sloane Kessler also tallied assists in the win.
 
Phoenix goalie Rachel Ramirez picked up her third win of the season between the pipes after 12 saves on the day. Kessler grabbed seven ground balls for the maroon and gold, followed by six by Erin Murnane, while Elle Hvozdovic won three draws.
 
The Chanticleers started the game with two goals before Elon answered with a score by Shenk off a pass from Garrigan with 27:17 on the clock to make it a 2-1 game. After Coastal extended its advantage to two, Hesselbein netted her sixth goal of the season to put the Phoenix back within one score, 3-2.
 
Fernandez then netted back-to-back goals within a minute of each other to give the maroon and gold its first lead of the game, 4-3, with 18:04 remaining in the half. After a third straight goal for Fernandez on a free-position shot, Vitton and Hesselbein each scored to put Elon up by four, 7-3, with nine minutes to play. The Chanticleers scored the next two before Garrigan posted the final goal of the half, a free-position goal, with 3:41 to play to make it an 8-5 Phoenix lead at the break.
 
Coastal opened the second half with a score by Rachel Waldron in the first 90 seconds. Elon responded with goals from Hesselbein on a free-position shot and Garrigan, their third and second of the day, respectively, to make it a 10-6 maroon and gold advantage with 21:12 remaining in the game.
 
With Elon holding a 10-7 edge, Shenk and Vitton gave the Phoenix its biggest advantage of the day after goals to make it a 12-7 lead with nine minutes to play.
 
The Chanticleers attempted a comeback, scoring three goals in the final eight minutes, but it was not enough as the strong Phoenix lead gave Elon its third straight victory with a two-goal advantage.
 
For the game, Elon finished 9-of-16 on clear attempts, while Coastal was 8-of-12. The Chanticleers outshot the Phoenix, 29-25, while three CCU goalies combined for nine saves. Coastal finished with 22 ground balls and won at the draw 12 times.
 
Elon will play reigning national champion and top-ranked North Carolina in its next game on Wednesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C.