Reinhardt Collects 2021 Women's Lacrosse Tournament Title

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. - Top-seeded Reinhardt built a comfortable halftime lead and then used a dominant second half to capture 2021 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Lacrosse Tournament championship on Saturday, defeating No. 2 seed SCAD Savannah 20-7.

This is the Lady Eagles' second consecutive tournament title as they won the 2019 crown. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SCAD Savannah scored the game's first goal, but Reinhardt responded by netting 11 of the next 12 tallies for an 11-2 lead. The Bees closed the half with three consecutive goals to make it 11-5 at the break.

Reinhardt opened the second half with four goals in a row in building a 15-5 cushion. The Lady Eagles coasted the rest of the way, outscoring the Bees 5-2 down the stretch for the 20-7 victory and the tournament championship.

Caroline Copenhaver led Reinhardt with six goals, while Anne-Marie Gazzo chipped in four goals and two assists. Brook Villhauer netted three goals and had one assist.

Villhauer earned Tournament MVP honors. Joining her on the All-Tournament Team are Copenhaver, Morgan McGhee, and Jessie Landers of Reinhardt; Tracy Richards, Clarke Haas, and Katie Rowell of SCAD Savannah; Aubrey Curell and Ashley Byrd of Asbury; and Skii Bollinger and Kennedy Martin of St. Andrews.

With the tournament championship, Reinhardt receives an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament, which is set for May 5-8 in Savannah, Ga.