TEANECK, N.J. – Despite scoring the game's last three goals, FDU (3-11, 2-5) fell to Mercyhurst (5-7, 5-2) by a score of 11-10 at home on Saturday afternoon.
Brielle McInaw shined for the Knights with a season-high four goals. She now leads the team with 27 goals on the year. McInaw also picked up three draw controls in today's match.
FDU drew first blood with a goal from
Adriana Mavlios. Mercyhurst scored the next three, but McInaw struck for her first goal of the day to cut the Lakers' lead to 3-2 at the end of the first quarter.
Mercyhurst responded with two goals to open up the second period. McInaw answered back, yet again. This time she cashed in two unanswered goals. Mercyhurst did find another goal to extend their lead to 6-4 at halftime.
The Lakers created some separation in the third. FDU scored just two goals, both off the stick of
Lindsey Felician, in the period's first 14 minutes. Trailing 10-6, the Knights needed some life and found it with a buzzer-beating goal from
Riley Eaton at the end of the quarter. This cut the Mercyhurst lead to 10-7.
Nora Codianni was credited with the assist.
There was not much offense in the opening stages of the fourth quarter. Mercyhurst scored to make it 11-7 with 12 minutes left. FDU finally answered with a free position goal from
Julia Corry with just over four minutes remaining. 30 seconds later Eaton tallied a goal to draw FDU to within two. Following a Mercyhurst turnover, McInaw came down the field and made good on her fourth goal of the day. FDU trailed 11-10 with just over two minutes remaining.
Mercyhurst earned a free position shot with 1:21 left on the clock.
Skylar Goodman made a huge save to give FDU possession. However, the Knights were only able to muster one shot that went high leaving the comeback effort just short.
Felician matched a season-high with three points. Mavlios also extended her goal streak to ten games with her goal in the first period.
Eaton's three-point effort continued her hot streak. The junior has scored in six-straight games and has totaled 15 goals in that span.
Part of FDU's comeback in the second half came in the draw control circle. Mercyhurst won eight of the 12 controls in the first half, but the Knights came back to win seven of 11 in the second half. In the end the Lakers had just one more draw control than the Knights. This was in large part due to Codianni, who picked up eight herself.
WHAT'S NEXT
FDU will travel to take on Delaware State next Saturday, April 19. First draw control is set for 5 p.m.
