ERIE, Pa. – Lock Haven University (7-7, 4-6 PSAC West) owned a 4-1 lead after a quarter of play but couldn't hold off a second-half surge from the host Lakers as the Bald Eagles fell by a 9-8 tally in overtime on Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division women's lacrosse thriller at Mercyhurst University (11-4, 7-3 PSAC West).  
 

The Bald Eagles got on the board first, netting the game's opening two goals. Unassisted tallies from Casey Hibbard (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) and Caitlin Morrow (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) handed LHU a 2-0 advantage after two-and-a-half minutes of play.  

Mercyhurst responded with a goal to trim the gap, but the rest of the first frame went the way of the Bald Eagles. Following the Mercyhurst tally, Hubbard found the back of the net again before Campbell Brant (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) got on the scoresheet with a goal in a woman-up situation to put the Bald Eagles ahead by a 4-1 score which is how the game would remain after 15 minutes of action.  

Both teams settled in after the first period and The Haven built its largest lead of the contest with the lone goal of the second stanza. Morrow found the back of the net with 7:23 to go in the first half as the Bald Eagles controlled play and ran out to a 5-1 halftime lead.  

Out of the intermission, the Lakers netted the first three goals of the second half to cut the LHU lead to 5-4 with 10:57 to go in the third. Abby Greene (Winter Springs, Fla./Oviedo) put an end to the Mercyhurst run with a goal with 4:15 to play in the third to add an insurance tally for the Bald Eagles.  

Mercyhurst had the final say in the third with a goal in the final second of the quarter to cut the Lock Haven lead to 6-5 as the game entered the final quarter of play.  

Emma Schiemer (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) took a Nadia Baskot (Damascus, Md./Damascus) pass and beat the keeper with a shot to extend the lead back to two at a 7-5 score before back-to-back Mercyhurst goals knotted the game up at seven goals each with ten minutes to play.  

Lock Haven looked to escape with the victory when Krysta Reading (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) found the back of the net with 3:48 to play but Mercyhurst tied the game up with a late goal to force overtime where they netted the game winner with 3:30 to play in the extra session to send the Bald Eagles home with a 9-8 loss.  

Hubbard and Morrow led the Lock Haven attack with two goals each while Lauren Girardi (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) posted nine saves in the loss.  

Up Next: 

The Bald Eagles are back in action on Wednesday, April 27 when they travel to Slippery Rock. Opening draw is set for 4 p.m.