Pirates Suffer Season-Ending Defeat to South Florida, 14-12

Thursday, May 1

Norfolk, Va.

7:15 p.m.

East Carolina University

7-10

South Florida

13-4

ECU

South Florida

Pirates Suffer Season-Ending Defeat to South Florida, 14-12

May 02, 2025 | Lacrosse

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – The East Carolina lacrosse team saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion in a 14-12 loss to second-seeded South Florida in the American Athletic Conference Semifinal on Thursday evening at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.

The Pirates (7-10, 4-2 AAC) showed a resilience which has become a signature of this group, battling back from an 8-3 deficit in the first quarter. The team started about as poorly as a team of their caliber could, allowing South Florida (13-4, 4-2 AAC) to build a sizable advantage from the jump with eight goals on 12 shots on goal in the first quarter.

The Pirates did get a bright spot from Katelyn Sclafani's first-quarter hat trick and a Leah Bestany tally with 11 seconds left in the period cut the margin to just four, providing a bit of needed momentum entering the second quarter.

ECU used that momentum to outscore USF 4-0 in the second, three goals from Erin Golden, including a sweet goal rolling the crease from the left and going between South Florida goalkeeper Paige Pagano's legs for the score.

A Rachel Chessock goal finally leveled the game late in the first half and another Golden score, yet again circling around to split the wickets, gave the Pirates their first lead of the game at 9-8 early in the third quarter and capping a 6-0 ECU run.

The lead would change hands several more times and Kayla Wilkes' free position goal with 45 seconds to play in the third sent the teams into the fourth quarter knotted at 11 for an awesome final 15 minutes.

And for a while it looked like it might go the Pirates' way. The team led 12-11 at the game's final media timeout thanks to a Sclafani goal, her fourth of the game. But a tying goal from Kaitlyn Tartaglione set up Bailey Morris' game-winning score with 2:23 remaining in the ballgame.

South Florida would get the ensuing draw control and Morris got her hat trick to put the game away with under a minute remaining.

Though not the result the Pirates were looking for, there were several notable statistical achievements worthy of noting:

With one caused turnover, Emma Magazu officially ends her program-record campaign at 28 and winds up second in program history with 42 ground balls thanks to one more on Thursday.

Caroline Meininger recorded one caused turnover to reach 23 on the season, fifth in program history.

Kayla Wilkes had a team-high seven draw controls. The American Midfielder of the Year finishes the season with an awesome line of 38 goals, 11 assists, 31 ground balls, 17 caused turnovers and 60 draw controls. A season unlike any other in program history.

Jaime Behar made 15 saves, giving her 31 in the last two games. 15 would have been a career high but for her 16 in the regular season finale and her 163 for the year rank second in program history, just three astray of the record.

And last but certainly not least, with her incredible five-goal outing, Gulden becomes the second player in program history to record 100 goals and 50 assists in a career (Frances Kimel). Gulden concludes her Pirate career with 100 goals, 53 assists, 45 ground balls and 28 draw controls. She is tied for second in ECU history in career points.

As it's been written before, there is no poetic way for a season to end for all but one team in the nation, and that was ever true on Thursday evening in Norfolk; but these 2025 East Carolina Pirates have plenty to be proud of—and plenty more to look forward to.