SEWANEE, Tenn. – The Carthage College Lady Reds had their season opener spoiled on Saturday in Tennessee as the 2017 women's lacrosse team fell at Sewanee: The University of the South, 13-4.
 
The loss opens the Lady Reds' season at 0-1, while the Tigers improve to 3-0 on the young season.
 
Rachel Mussell led the Lady Reds with a pair goals and Mackenzie Day and Nicole Bowman added one each to lead the Lady Reds on the day.  Maddie Griffin had the lone assist on the day.
 
As a team the Lady Reds were outshot on the day 33-21 and 21-19 on goal, however, it was Sewanee's ability to convert on free-position shots that doomed Carthage, as the Tigers were 6-11 Saturday to the Lady Red's 0-6.  Sewanee also held a strong advantage on the defensive end, as the Tigers fielded 48 ground balls to 29 for the Lady Reds.
 
After falling behind twice early, the Lady Reds responded to tie it at 1-1 and 2-2 behind first half goals by Mussell coming at the 21:45 and 10:41 marks of the first half.
 
However, Sewanne rattled off a pair of goals less than three minutes after the Lady Red had tied the game to establish the first two-goal lead of the game, 4-2, with 7:47 left in the half. 
 
The Tigers then added a fifth goal before the half with 38 seconds remaining to take a 5-2 advantage into the break.
 
Sewanee carried that momentum over into the second half, as the Tigers opened the second half on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 12-2 with 3:22 remaining in the game. 
 
With 1:45 remaining in the match Mackenzie Day recorded her first goal of the season in her return from injury that cost her the final third of the season last year.  Bowman scored her first career goal with the Lady Reds as time expired on the afternoon.