RADFORD, Va. – Already reaching a number in the win column that multiplied last season's total by two just three days ago, the Presbyterian College lacrosse team's 2023 resurgence has now led to another program-first. Riding a combined nine goals from Willow Hammond and Abby Edmisten alongside the squad's highest first-half scoring total in nearly 365 days, the Blue Hose dissected Radford on the road by a 14-5 disparity on Saturday afternoon.

The first time in the 15-year history of the program claiming a victory in each of their first two league appearances, head coach Eric Clakely's unit left no doubt whatsoever in the squad's first W against the Highlanders since the 2016 campaign, reaching their highest goal accumulation over an entire 60-minute window in 13 months (a 15-7 triumph against Delaware State).

Saturday's wire-to-wire win in the Commonwealth State registered as Presbyterian's largest final difference on the scoreboard in their favor when competing against a Big South opponent since April 8, 2017, an 11-goal blowout at Gardner-Webb. The fourth occasion this spring assuming a double-digit scoring total when playing the visiting role, PC's dominant performance at Radford gives coach Clakeley's club 26 goals over the past two games, the highest figure in back-to-back outings since late 2021.
 
NOTABLES
- Edmisten and Hammond were simply unstoppable against the Highlanders' back line over the weekend, the 14^th time in an exceptional career with at least four goals in a single contest for the former and a new career-best five strikes by the latter, beating out her old personal-high that happened seven days ago at Queens while also winning six draw controls.

- Of the game's first 14 goals, 12 were submitted by the Blue Hose spanning nearly three entire frames, gathering their most efficient opening-half offensive attack since April of last year. After securing seven separate scorers during the program's first W in a Big South opener versus Wofford, Presbyterian collected six more this afternoon, as Kylie Sullivan, Tayler Hofmeister, Ava Ward, and Paige Gacek all contributed to the team's red-hot start to the final month of the season.

- PC reached 26 shots-on-goal out of their 33 total looks at the net, spreading 25 groundball recoveries from 13 individuals. Kendall Goldfarb and Avery West mustered five caused turnovers as part of a defensive group that forced 10 altogether, successfully finishing 19 of 20 clear attempts in the nine-score win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Hammond signified what was to come by granting the Blue Hose their quickest strike in game #10, making it 1-0 with only 53 seconds elapsed. Another swing by the sophomore with 4:08 left in the period followed up two other scores by Sullivan and Edmisten, providing PC with their first defensive shutout over a 15-minute window this year and a four-goal edge.

- Starting keeper Lilly Phillips – fresh off a career-best 11 saves in the W over the Terriers – surrendered her first goal with one-third of the bout already passed, not near enough to give the Highlanders a significant comeback try due to five PC goals throughout the 2^nd.

- Edmisten's fourth strike of the matchup officially pushed the affair to a running clock at 11-1 with 21 minutes remaining, as Presbyterian would twice hoist the lead back up to 10 over the game's later stages. Naomi Lauderbaugh relieved Phillips for the final stanza after the newbie collected seven stoppages, aiding the Blue Hose to their highest-scoring output ever against the Highlanders while simultaneously limiting Radford to their lowest-scoring effort in the sides' seven-game history.

- Beating out his '21 trek for best start through 10 games in his four-year tenure roaming the PC sidelines, Clakeley and co. have emerged victorious in three of the past five meetings on the docket with all but one of their five overall W's occurring outside Clinton.
 
COACH CLAKELEY'S THOUGHTS
"Another day defined by tremendous effort on the defensive end, especially in ways that don't necessarily show up in the box score. Lilly was once again excellent at goalie for us, and I'm very pleased with how versatile the offense has become in very important games".

"We adhere to a slogan that we call "Clinton Tough", and we have begun to show more of that toughness with each passing game. Both Wednesday's win and today have proved that we're ready to make another leap forward. A total team effort from all involved".
 
UP NEXT
- Next week at Bailey Memorial Stadium figures to be an extremely intriguing clash against the Fighting Camels of Campbell, a midweek bout between two schools that are perfect in league action with two outings in the rearview. PC's northern foe sits at 6-4 beside five victories in the span of seven tries, earning a hard-fought W over Furman on Saturday.

- A 2:59 tiebreaking game-winner in Greenville sends Campbell to a battle of conference unbeatens four nights from now. Opening draw in Clinton on April 5 is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., broadcasted by ESPN+.