FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - The Messiah women's lacrosse team fell just short against the Mary Washington Eagles on Saturday afternoon, falling by a 15-13 final. The Falcons trailed 7-6 at the half, but used a 6-3 advantage in the third quarter to take a two-goal leading heading into the fourth. The Eagles buckled down in the final period, outscoring the Falcons 5-1 in the final 15 minutes to earn a 15-13 victory.
 
Hayley Lettinga led the Falcons with five goals and an assist on the afternoon while Katie Bukiewicz added three goals in the setback.
 
The Falcons will be back in action on Wednesday when they host the No. 4 Salisbury Sea Gulls at 5:00 p.m. on the Lacrosse Turf.
 
How It Happened
The Falcons jumped on the board early with back-to-back goals in the first five minutes of play. Katie Bukiewicz and Annalise Keitel found the back of the cage with Bukiewicz scoring an unassisted goal and Hayley Lettinga connecting with Keitel for a score.
 
The Eagles responded with the next four goals, including three straight in an 80-second span. With just under two minutes remaining in the opening quarter, Hayley Lettinga found the back of the goal, but Mary Washington countered with a tally to take a 5-3 lead after 15 minutes of play.
 
Messiah connected on the first two goals of the second quarter with Bukiewicz and Grace Pettitt scoring to tie the game at 5-5.
 
Two goals from the Eagles and a free-position goal from Hayley Lettinga gave Mary Washington a 7-6 lead at the half.
 
After the break, Messiah controlled the third quarter, going on a 6-2 run to take a 12-9 lead with 3:28 left in the quarter. The Falcons' run was fueled by three goals from Hayley Lettinga and scores from Hannah Gawne, Alina Bernal-Clark, and Katie Bukiewicz.
 
Mary Washington responded with six-straight goals in a 10-plus minute span, to flip the score and take a 15-12 lead. With just over six minutes remaining, the Falcons were unable to complete the comeback with Grace Pettitt scoring the lone goal of the final stretch. In the end, the Eagles edged the Falcons by a 15-13 final score.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action when they host the No. 4 Salisbury Sea Gulls on Wednesday evening at 5:00 p.m. on the Lacrosse Turf. The Sea Gulls will be the fourth ranked team the Falcons have faced this season.