Pirates Earn Monumental Win Over Charlotte, 13-12

Saturday, April 19

Charlotte, NC

1:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

6-8 (4-1)

Charlotte

6-9 (1-4)

ECU

Charlotte

April 19, 2025 | Lacrosse

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the first time in program history, there will be a trophy on the line when the East Carolina lacrosse team plays its final home game next week after a 13-12 win over the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday afternoon in Jerry Richardson Stadium.

With the win, and a JMU victory over South Florida on Saturday, the home finale between the Pirates and Dukes will be for a share of the American Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship. The Pirates have also clinched their berth in the American Tournament for the first time since 2023.

The win boosts the Pirates to 6-8 overall, but more importantly it pushes the team to 4-1 in conference play, breaking the program record for conference wins. The previous high of three was set by that 2023 squad.

The game itself was a thriller. After getting up 2-0 to open the game, the Pirates went down by as many as two in the second quarter as Charlotte (6-9, 1-4 AAC) rode yet another electric performance by Isa Torres into the lead. Torres finished with five goals and an assist in the game.

That lead was never due to stand for the 49ers and a flurry of goals from Rachel Chessock, including a score with 18.8 seconds remaining before half, took the teams into the break even at seven. Chessock finished the game with a career-high five goals after her second-quarter hat trick, pacing a streaky ECU offense.

One of Chessock's other goals was a critical one with just 6:12 remaining in the fourth quarter which gave the team its largest lead of the game at 13-10, ultimately proving enough to hold on for victory.

The Pirates led for much of the second half after Leah Bestany scored to open the third quarter. Charlotte did manage to rally to briefly retake the lead one more time, but ECU was ready for an answer with goals from Riley Matthiesen and Chessock to put the visitors in front for good.

Matthiesen scored a pair in the game, joining Erin Gulden and Kayla Wilkes in notching multiple goals. It was Wilkes' 10th multi-goal game of the season and Gulden's seventh with three-or-more points.

As the game hung in the balance late, the Pirates dug in deep to hold serve and got a significant boost from Grace McCarthy. The sophomore, who finished the game with six draw controls, recorded four of them in the fourth quarter alone, including the game-sealer with 1:07 remaining which allowed the Pirates to run out the clock.

The game will ultimately be one Charlotte wants back. The 49ers shot themselves in the foot on several occasions, finishing the game with 17 turnovers, only five of which came off of caused turnovers by the Pirates.

However, three of those five caused turnovers came from the indefatigable work of Emma Magazu who finished the game with three caused turnovers and three ground balls. Magazu now has 24 caused turnovers and 37 ground balls, respectively, this season. She is just one caused turnover away from tying the program single season record and has now moved into fifth all time in single-season ground balls.

Jaime Behar got the win in goal, making seven saves in the first half alone as part of her 10 total for the game.

Up Next
The Pirates do have one more game before the showdown with James Madison as they welcome William & Mary to Johnson Stadium at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The game is free to attend.