WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Tech women's lacrosse team ends their road trip with their second straight victory, defeating Palm Beach Atlantic 18-15 on Wednesday. Two Panthers score five goals and a third with a hat-trick.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: No. 20 Florida Tech 18, Palm Beach Atlantic 15
Records: No. 20 Florida Tech (6-7, 2-1 SSC) | Palm Beach Atlantic (6-6, 0-3 SSC)
Locations: PBA Lacrosse Field | West Palm Beach, Fla.

FIRST QUARTER: 

• Michaela Wittman grabbed the first draw control and turned it into a free-position opportunity, which Gillian Craig capitalized on.
• Wittman quickly earned her second draw control, and a minute later, the Panthers scored their second goal courtesy of Sofie Bender.
• Palm Beach Atlantic responded at 11:36 before Tech rattled off two more with under 10 minutes remaining.
• Sailfish's Rachel Delate punched the ball into the net in under 30 seconds, but the Panthers remained on top 4-3.
• The two teams traded blows, but Tech had the last laugh with a Charlotte Hardie goal, which gave the Panthers a 6-4 advantage going into the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER: 

• Sofie Bender tallied her hat-trick, smoking a ball past the Sailfish keeper, but Delate stuck again on a free-position goal, keeping it a two-point difference.
• Three and a half minutes went by without a score from either team, which was helped by a caused turnover from Hardie and a free position save by Bridget Robinson.
• The scoreless stretch ended when Bender delivered a pass to Carly Niro, who finished it in the net with a women-up.
• Palm Beach Atlantic bounced back, netting two consecutive goals.
• However, the Panthers extended their lead significantly, registering four goals compared to the Sailfish's one in the final 4:18 in the half. Gillian Craig scored two goals, Sofie earned her fourth, and Clare McGuire took advantage of a women-up chance for the 12-8 halftime lead.

 THIRD QUARTER: 

• The Panthers' momentum did not carry over as the Sailfish put three unanswered in the back of the net, all by Olivia Larges.
• It was seven and a half minutes before either team made a move on the scoreboard. Again, Tech ended the drought on a free-position goal by Hardie.
• Palm Beach Atlantic wrapped up the third quarter, tying the game at 13 apiece on two goals at 2:22 and 1:22.

FOURTH QUARTER: 

• Tech was on defense for multiple possession to begin the fourth quarter. McGuire caused two turnovers, keeping Palm Beach Atlantic off the board.
• The great defense paid off, as the Panthers went on to score four goals in about three minutes, back-to-back by Craig. At the 8:54 mark, the Panthers led the Sailfish 17-13.
• Palm Beach Atlantic could only manage two more goals, but it was not enough to close the gap.

 NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Sofie Bender led the way for both teams with seven points on five goals and two assists.
• Gillian Craig also scored five goals and one assist.
• Charlotte Hardie and Clare McGuire each caused a team-high three turnovers. Hardie also netted a hat trick and assisted one goal.
• Bridget Robinson and Cailey Canessa combined for four saves.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• Florida Tech won the draw-control battle (19-18), gathered more ground balls (20-11), and outshot PBA (31-23).
• Palm Beach Atlantic registered more saves (8-4).
• The Panthers were 17-of-21 on clears, while the Tars were 13-of-19.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Florida Tech remains undefeated with a 9-0 record against Palm Beach Atlantic.
• Tech has won the nine games by an average of 9.75 goals.

UP NEXT: The Panthers have their Senior Day on Saturday, April 5, against No. 1 Tampa. The game is set for 7 p.m. ET.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Florida Tech women's lacrosse team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.