The No. 3 ranked Lindenwood women's lacrosse team defeated the Saint Leo Lions 18-5 on Saturday afternoon from Saint Leo, Fla.
 
Saint Leo stuck first, scoring the first goal of the game 43 seconds into play, gaining an early 1-0 advantage. Lindenwood tied the game 1:41 later on the strength of an Allison Hurley goal. Sophie Buelow was credited with the assist, extending her point streak to 13 consecutive games. Saint Leo recaptured the lead 64 seconds later, off an unassisted goal from Caroline Fraser. Lindenwood then rattled off six consecutive scores over a 10:05 stretch from 25:36-15:31, jumping in front by a five-goal margin. Rachel Benzing lit the lamp four times during the Lady Lion rally, while Sarah Cromer and Jordyn Constance also found the back of the net. Saint Leo would cut into the Lindenwood lead with 11:11 remaining in the first half, making the score 7-3. Lindenwood closed out the opening half by scoring the final four goals, ending the first 30 minutes of play with an 11-3 lead. Scoring for the Lady Lions down the stretch in the opening period were Cromer, Cassie Stucklen, Benzing, and Hunter Waldau.
 
Lindenwood opened the second half with a pair of goals from Benzing and Hurley, pushing its lead to 13-3. Saint Leo would score twice over the remaining 26:17 of the second period, while Lindenwood would pour in five more goals. Of the second half scores for Lindenwood, Erin Abbott notched her first goal of the season, while Hurley, Remi Larson, and Sarah Goetz all contributed goals. Delaney Solomon made three saves in goal for the Lady Lions, as Lindenwood secured the 18-5 victory.
 
Lindenwood held the edge in shots (28-10), shots on goal (25-8), draw controls (17-8), ground balls (30-19), and caused turnovers (13-12). Lindenwood managed 13 successful clears during its 16 opportunities.
 
The six-goal performance by Benzing was the most goals scored by a Lady Lion this season, and also a career-high for Benzing. Lindenwood received goal contributions from nine different players, while 13 Lady Lions recorded at least one point.
 
With the non-conference win, Lindenwood improves its record to 11-2 on the season. Following the loss, Saint Leo moves its record to 2-8. Lindenwood will enjoy a nine-day break before returning to action on April 12 at 5:00 p.m. central for a clash with conference rival Regis in Denver, Colo.