YORK, Pa. – In a top-15 match-up of Division III women's lacrosse programs, the No. 11 Messiah Falcons were on the wrong side of a 10-5 final against the No. 8 York Spartans. Hayley Lettinga led the Falcons with two goals in a match delayed an hour due to lighting. Emma Lytle, Rachel Delate, and Annalise Keitel also found the back of the cage for the Falcons.
 
In the match, Messiah was outshot 27-18 with both teams putting 15 shots on goal.
 
With the loss, Messiah moves to 8-2 on the season and 1-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Falcons' two losses have come against No. 8 York and No. 9 Franklin and Marshall. Messiah will be back in action on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. when they travel to St. Davids, Pa. to take on the Eastern Eagles.
 
How It Happened
The Falcons and Spartans played a very even game for the first 45 minutes of play on Saturday evening. Following an hour lighting delay, it was the Spartans getting on the board first with two goals in the first four minutes. Messiah took a little more time to get on the board, but Annalise Keitel connected off a feed from Emma Lytle with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Less than two minutes later, Lytle found the twine for a goal of her own to tie things up at 2-2 as the game headed to the second quarter.
 
York scored three straight goals to start the second quarter and took a 5-2 lead with 7:43 remaining before the half. Rachel Delate netted an unassisted goal in the final minute of the half to pull the Falcons within one at 5-3. Across the first 30 minutes of play, York outshot the Falcons 15-6, but Messiah hung tough, trailing by just two.
 
After the break, both Messiah and York attempted 12 shots, but the Falcons put nine shots on frame against six from the Spartans. Despite the Falcons putting more attempts on goal, the Spartans made seven saves while Messiah came up with just one. Hayley Lettinga accounted for both of Messiah's goals after the half, scoring the first goal in both the third and fourth quarters.
 
After Lettinga opened the scoring after the half, York's Jen Campbell connected with 16 seconds remaining in the period for the only other goal of the quarter. Lettinga was back on the board in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Both of her goals came on woman-up opportunities. With Lettinga's early fourth-quarter goal, the Falcons pulled within one at 6-5. The margin remained one until York scored with 8:03 remaining in regulation to bump their lead to 7-5.
 
The tally started a 4-0 Spartan run to end the game with a 10-5 victory for York.
 
What's Up Next
With the setback, the Falcons move to 8-2 on the season and 1-1 in the conference. Messiah will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to St. Davids, Pa. to take on the Eastern Eagles at 5:00 p.m.