ROME, Ga. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's lacrosse team kept its perfect start to the first season in program history in tact on Wednesday evening, holding off a furious Shorter comeback for a 12-10 victory in the first-ever Gulf South Conference contest in the sport. UAH moves to 4-0 (1-0 GSC), while Shorter slips to 0-4 (0-1 GSC).
 
The Chargers will return to action on Saturday when the team plays its inaugural home game, welcoming Indianapolis for an 11 a.m. showdown at Charger Park.
 
UAH led by as many as nine goals and held an 11-2 lead before the Hawks scored eight times in the last 15 minutes of the contest to create the two-goal differential at the end.
 
Natalie Pachinger paced the Chargers in the victory, scoring six times on seven shots on goal, while Megan Hartnett and Nicole Federovitch both added a pair of goals. For good measure, Federovitch also added a pair of assists.
 
Leading the team in ground balls with seven was Emily Wiegland, and Mariah Eacrett was credited with causing a team-best six turnovers.
 
Haleigh Comp earned the win in goal.
 
Bekka San Souci started the scoring for the Chargers, tallying the game's first strike just over five minutes into the game, and after the Hawks tied the contest at 1-1 on a goal by Kari Chambers at the 17:50 mark of the opening half, UAH would score five straight to end the half leading 6-1.
 
Pachinger scored three of her goals in the first half to help UAH build up the sizeable lead.
 
The visitors then scored four more in just over six minutes to start the second half with Pachinger adding another pair for a 10-1 lead before the Hawks got back on the board with another Chambers strike at the 20:22 mark.
 
Federovitch tallied her second of the night to make it an 11-2 advantage for UAH before the Hawks scored two straight, and Pachinger racked up her sixth of the night in giving UAH its final score of the contest with 14:34 remaining.