CATONSVILLE, Md. – The No. 19 Messiah Women's Lacrosse team traveled to Catonsville, Md. for a neutral site game against Washington College of Maryland on Saturday, March 7. The Falcons held a slight 6-5 lead after battling with the Shorewomen in the opening quarter, before outscoring Washington 7-3 in the second to take a 13-8 lead into halftime. The Shorewomen outscored Messiah 7-6 in the third, with a score of 19-15 in favor of the Falcons with 15 to play. Messiah added six goals in the final quarter to solidify a 25-18 win. Grace Pettitt led the Falcons with nine points on five goals and four assists. Hayley Lettinga tallied six goals while Alina Bernal-Clark added three. Annalise Keitel tallied a pair of goals and four assists. Grace Hejeebu made 14 saves in goal.

The Falcons will return to action at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, when they travel to Granville, Ohio to take on Denison University.

First Quarter
The Falcons jumped to a quick 3-0 lead at the start, with Brynn Johnsen earning the opening draw control and scoring the first goal of the game with an assist from Grace Pettitt. Hayley Lettinga caused a turnover on the Shorewomen's possession and Hannah Gawne found the back of the net on the other end of the field to extend the lead to 2-0. Washington had a free position opportunity, but Grace Hejeebu made the save in goal for the Falcons and kickstarted a quick transition that resulted in an unassisted goal from Johnsen for a 3-0 Messiah lead at the 11:25 mark. Washington scored a pair of unanswered goals over the next three minutes to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of the Falcons. Gawne earned the draw control before quick gameplay led to Grace Pettitt finding Jordan Lewicki to extend the Falcons lead back to two. After a save in goal for Grace Hejeebu, Pettitt found the back of the net for a 5-2 lead for Messiah. Annalise Keitel fired her first shot of the game two minutes later, but the Shorewomen goalie was able to make the save. The Shorewomen scored a pair to bring it within one before Hayley Lettinga scored an unassisted goal to give Messiah a 6-4 lead. A goal from Washington with one minute remaining brought the score to 6-5 in favor of Messiah after the first.

Second Quarter
Washinton leveled the score at 6-6 just under two minutes in the second quarter before Annalise Keitel found Alina Bernal-Clark a minute later for a 7-6 Messiah lead. Less than a minute later Grace Pettitt scored on a free position attempt for an 8-6 Falcons' lead. Washington tallied a goal less than a minute later and Messiah used a timeout to regroup. Out of the timeout, Annalise Keitel scored on a man-up free position shot that was quickly answered by a free position goal from the Shorewomen to bring the score to 9-8 in favor of Messiah. A shot on goal was saved by Grace Hejeebu before Hayley Lettinga found the goal on the other side of the field. Just over three minutes later, Lettinga found the back of the goal, and Grace Pettitt found Jordan Lewicki to give the Falcons the 12-8 lead with 3:55 remaining in the first half. Annalise Keitel added a goal and Grace Hejeebu added a save in goal to maintain the 13-8 lead into halftime.

Third Quarter
The Falcons were first to strike out of the break, with Hannah Gawne scoring at the 13:18 mark. Hayley Lettinga had a shot on goal saved before the Shorewomen found the back of the net twice to bring the score to 14-10 in favor of Messiah with 10 minutes to play in the third. Grace Pettitt tallied a man-up goal from Hannah Gawne before a pair of goals for Washington brought the score to 15-12. Messiah tallied a pair with Gawne finding Alina Bernal-Clark for a man-up goal before Hayley Lettinga tallied an unassisted for a 17-12 lead. Washington scored three unanswered to bring the score to 17-15 in favor of Messiah before Grace Pettitt tallied a goal and Jordan Lewicki scored on a free position attempt with 15 seconds remaining to take a 19-15 Messiah lead into the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter
Grace Pettitt found the back of the net to open the fourth before Grace Hejeebu made a save on a free position shot. The Shorewomen found the back of the goal but the Falcons were quick to add a pair from Alina Bernal-Clark from Pettitt and Hayley Lettinga on a man-up to take a 22-16 lead. Annalise Keitel found Jordan Lewicki three minutes later before she found Lettinga at the 4:22 mark to take a 24:16 lead. Washington added a man-up goal before Keitel found Lewicki to bring the score to 25-17. The Shorewomen added one final goal with 26 seconds left before a last second save from Grace Hejeebu solidified the 25-18 win.

Stats
Grace Pettitt led the Falcons with nine points on five goals and four assists. Hayley Lettinga tallied six goals while Alina Bernal-Clark added three. Annalise Keitel tallied a pair of goals and four assists. Grace Hejeebu made 14 saves in goal.

Up Next
The Falcons will return to action at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, when they travel to Granville, Ohio to take on Denison University.