ERIE, Pa. – The No. 16 Mercyhurst women's lacrosse team got back on track after dropping their first game of the 2021 season on Wednesday to Seton Hill with a 16-11 victory over Lock Haven University on Saturday afternoon at Saxon Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division action.

Mercyhurst took control of things early as Julia Ruscio and Julia Rescott each scored in the opening two minutes.  Gabby McGinn buried her fifth of the campaign unassisted, before Victoria Gottorff setup Payton Cook to make it 4-0 just over five minutes in.  Caitlin Morrow picked up the visitors first goal as she sent a shot past Kaitlyn Lippert.  Ruscio responded with a free-position marker to re-establish a foul-goal cushion at 5-1.  Off the ensuing draw Josey Shaffer went right down the field and cut it to 5-2.  The Lakers played some "make it take it" lacrosse later in the half netting three goals in 68-seconds with Molly Meegan and Rescott pushing it to 8-2 with 12:57 remaining.  Each side would score twice more with Torie Sullivan and McGinn tallying for the Green and Blue to lead 10-4 at half.

Meegan recorded her second free-position goal to get the second-half off and running with 1:13 gone.  At the 7:43 mark the McGinn to Rescott connection struck once again for the home side, followed by Ruscio finding Cook to push the margin to 13-5 just over 10 minutes in.  Braxtin Reddinger took advantage of the free-position spot twice to bring LHU within 13-7 with 12:29 to play.  Paige Cocina grabbed her fifth of the season with an unassisted marker and Sullivan added her second on the afternoon for the 15-7 lead.  Over the remaining eight minutes of the contest the Bald Eagles would tally four more times, while Lauren Cain notched the final one for the home side resulting in the 16-11 final. 

Team Stat Pack
Shot Attempts - Hurst, 35 / LHU, 25 
Shots on Goal - Hurst, 24 / LHU, 19
Clears - Hurst, 16-19 / LHU, 21-24
Draw Controls - Hurst, 20 / LHU, 8
Ground Balls - Hurst, 10 / LHU, 12
Turnovers - Hurst, 16 / LHU, 15
Free-Position Attempts - Hurst, 3-5 / LHU, 3-10

Mercyhurst Individual Stat Leaders
Points – McGinn (6), Rescott (4), Ruscio (3)
Goals - Rescott (4)
Assists – McGinn (4), Gottorff (2)
Draw Controls – Ruscio (10), Cocina and Meegan (4)
Saves - Lippert (8)

Lock Haven Individual Stat Leaders
Goals – Reddinger (3) 
Draw Controls – Shaffer and Waddell (2)
Saves - Girardi (8)

On Deck 
The Lakers were supposed to take the field again on Wednesday against Edinboro, however, Edinboro has opted out of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play.  So now Mercyhurst will return to action on Saturday, April 3^rd when they visit the Indiana University of Pennsylvania at 3pm.