EWING, N.J. – The No. 11 Messiah women's lacrosse team concluded their 2023 season on Sunday afternoon in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to the No. 6 TCNJ Lions by a 14-6 final score. The Falcons took an early lead on Sunday, leading 2-1 after 15 minutes of play. The Lions however controlled the second quarter with a 7-2 advantage in the second quarter to take an 8-4 lead at the half.
 
After the break, TCNJ continued to pad their lead, outscoring the Falcons 6-2 across the final 30 minutes of play and earning the 14-6 victory. With the victory, the Lions advance to the Sweet 16 next weekend and will take on Colby College.
 
For the Falcons, Makenzie Schnur and Hannah Gawne each scored two goals while Emma Lytle and Jordan Lewicki each scored once. Offensively for the Lions, Jillian Westerby scored four goals on the afternoon while three other players scored a trio of goals each.
 
Messiah concludes the 2023 campaign with an overall record of 16-4 and a trip NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season.
 
How It Happened
The Lions were first on the board, scoring with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter. The Falcons responded with goals from Makenzie Schnur and Hannah Gawne in the final four-plus minutes of the period to take a 2-1 lead after 15 minutes of play. The Falcons held the lead despite being outshot 7-4 in the quarter. Mackenzie O'Haver made three saves in the period for Messiah.
 
In the second quarter, TCNJ started the period off fast, scoring four goals in the first 3:15 of the quarter. The 4-0 run gave the Lions a 5-2 lead. Jordan Lewicki ended the run with a free-position goal that pulled Messiah within two at 5-3. Two more TCNJ goals pushed their lead to four, but Rachel Delate found Makenzie Schnur for a tally with just over a minute remaining in the half. The Lions scored in the final seconds of the half to take an 8-4 lead into the break. TCNJ scored on all seven of their second-quarter shots while Messiah attempted five shots, putting four on frame in the period.
 
Messiah was held scoreless in the third quarter as the Lions increased their lead to 11-4, heading to the fourth. TCNJ pushed their lead to as many as nine after two early goals in the fourth quarter, but Messiah scored consecutive goals for the first time since the end of the first quarter to pull within seven at 13-6. Hannah Gawne and Emma Lytle provided the scores, but it was not enough as the Lions scored with just over a minute remaining to claim the 14-6 victory.
 
Closing Out the Season
The Falcons wrap up the 2023 campaign with an overall record of 16-4. The Falcons finished as the MAC Commonwealth Runner-Up and earned their seventh-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament.