CLARION, Pennsylvania — On November 15, 2022, the Lake Erie Storm women's basketball team traveled to face the Clarion Golden Eagles for their second regular season game. The Storm, led by senior guard/forward Abby Matalavage, came away with the first victory of their young 22-23 season. After a fantastic back-and-forth match, Lake Erie was able to pull away in the fourth quarter beating the Golden Eagles with a final score of 76-63. 

The Storm shot a scorching 47.2%, after going 25-53 from the field. Lake Erie massively improved their 3-point shooting from game one, posting a 27.8 shooting percentage from behind the arch. The Storm were outrebounded by Golden Eagles 34-35 for the night. The big story of the night is Lake Erie shooting 27 times from the stripe. They efficiently shot 77.8%, cashing in 21 points from the foul line. The team made some clutch free throws in the fourth quarter hitting 11 of 13. The excellent shooting was huge down the stretch to lead the Storm over the Golden Eagles. 

Senior guard Abby Matalavage came up big in Lake Erie's win, leading both teams in scoring, posting 27 points. Matalavage played a team high 32 minutes while also contributing one rebound, one steal, and one assist on the night. Matalavage shot a cool 5-5 from the line and 11-15 from the field and a 73.3 shooting percentage. 

Senior guard Sydney Wyndgarden added 18 points and two steals for the Storm in 32 minutes of action tonight. Sophomore guard Taylor Thomas was crucial for Lake Erie collecting eight huge rebounds in the victory. Senior guard Angela Fink added three steals contributing to the Golden Eagles 17 turnovers. Defensively, Lake Erie came together to hold the Golden Eagles to a mere 12 points in the fourth quarter while pouring on 26 of their own. With great defense and efficient shooting the Storm were able to cruise to victory in the end. 

Head Coach Todd Perdas recorded his first NCAA victory against the Golden Eagles. Coach Perdas enters his first year at Lake Erie after coaching at multiple colleges and high schools. His extensive coaching career along with newly found dedication to the Storm led him to his first NCAA victory. 

The Storm will look to build off this impressive win as they host the Lake Superior State Lakers for their home opener on Saturday, November 19th at 1:00 PM.