Pirates Drop Overtime Heartbreaker to No. 11 JMU, 14-13

Saturday, April 26

Greenville, N.C.

12:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

7-9

JMU

12-4

JMU

ECU

April 26, 2025 | Lacrosse

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina lacrosse team came oh so close in a 14-13 overtime loss to No. 11 James Madison on Saturday afternoon in Johnson Stadium. The game featured five lead changes as the teams battled in what became a thriller of a contest.

By so many measures, the Pirates (7-9, 4-2 AAC) looked like a team which belonged on the field with a program like James Madison (12-4, 6-0 AAC). The team answered nearly ever question asked by the Dukes, keyed by a few extraordinary performances by a handful of players.

Jaime Behar had a career high 16 saves in goal. She seemed like a brick wall at times throughout as she held a JMU team which dominated the draw 22-9 in check.

Kayla Wilkes had a phenomenal line with two goals, three assists, four ground balls, four caused turnovers and five ground balls. Wilkes also scored the team's final two goals of the game, making it 13-11 with 4:07 remaining in the ballgame.

The team looked poised to charge to victory but the Dukes had an answer, with goals from Maddie Epke—who also recorded 15 draw controls in the game—and Payton Root.

The Pirates might not have even been in that position but for the play of Riley Matthiesen and Katelyn Sclafani who seemed to be constantly in position to score, tallying four and three goals, apiece. Matthiesen took a team-high eight shots—Epke took a game-high 12.

Unfortunately for ECU, the team which wins the opening draw in overtime often wins the game and that was the case on Saturday as Olivia Matthews fired home the game-winning goal just 37 seconds into the extra session.

The game represents another sign of an ECU group finally learning how to win games, fresh off of a streak of three-straight one-goal wins. It is momentum they will aim to carry into next week's American Athletic Conference Tournament.

Up Next
With the loss, the Pirates officially earn the third seed in the American Athletic Conference Tournament and will face #2 South Florida at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday in Norfolk, Va. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.