Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris University women's lacrosse opened Northeast Conference play with a 12-9 loss to Wagner College on Friday afternoon at Joe Walton Stadium.

Senior Dana Davis and freshman Kelley Flynn paced the Colonials with two goals apiece. Davis won four draws, collected three ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers. Senior Niki Grillon also has a two-point outing with a goal and an assist.

Wagner came out firing in the first two minutes, with RMU goalkeeper Katelyn Miller making a pair of stops to keep the zeroes on the board. The Seahawks opened the scoring before junior Shannon Lynch tied things up for the Colonials with her eleventh goal of the season. Wagner connected on four consecutive goals to take a 5-1 lead with 14:17 to play in the opening half.

The Colonials responded with three straight goals to rally within one. Flynn scored on a free position goal to make it a 5-2 game before Meghan Crouse added her tenth of the season and Davis connected for her thirteenth off an assist from Grillon, pulling RMU to a 5-4 score. The teams traded scoring punches in the final four minutes of the half, with junior Sophia Eureka firing home her twelfth goal of the year.

Shots were even at 16-16 at halftime with each goalkeeper making eight saves. Wagner's Lucy Darlington played the first half and made eight saves, adding a ninth in the second half before giving way for Kelsey Fee. Ground balls were even at 12-12 at halftime as well, while Wagner held a 9-4 advantage on the draw.



With a 7-5 lead at the half, the Seahawks rattled off five straight goals to take a commanding 12-5 lead with 12:58 to play. Lauren Ednie and Marjorie Dehm each posted hat tricks for Wagner. 

The Colonials didn't go away quietly. Freshman Madison Griffin broke the second half goose egg off the board for Robert Morris on a free position goal with 10:18 to play. Griffin's goal was the first of four tallies to push the Colonials back within striking distance before eventually falling to the Seahawks.

Flynn scored her second of the game on a free position shot with 5:43 to play. Davis picked up her second of the game and fourteenth of the season on a free position marker less than a minute later. Grillon capped the scoring with her third of the season with 2:51 to play.

Robert Morris held Wagner off the board for the final 12:58 of the game. The Colonials outshot Wagner 17-9 in the second half and held an 8-2 advantage in draw controls in the final thirty minutes.

Davis' three ground balls move her into a tie for the RMU all-time record for ground balls with 171 for her career (Colleen O'Donnell '12). The senior from Garnet Valley, Pa. is also four goals shy of 100 for her career.

Griffin, Kerri Sayrafe and Melanie Gandy each collected three ground balls also, with Crouse and Madison Burke each picking up a pair. Crouse led the way with three caused turnovers, while Gandy, Davis and Kelly Colegrove each had two. Sayrafe, Burke, Griffin and Shea McArdle each caused turnovers as well. Davis won four draws, Griffin and Eureka winning two, while Crouse and Thalia Zolis captured one apiece. Miller finished with 12 saves.

The Colonials (4-7, 0-1 NEC) host Mount St. Mary's on Sunday at Noon at Joe Walton Stadium.  


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