BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Mercyhurst women's lacrosse team fell to Canisius 22-5 on Thursday. Despite the loss, the Lakers managed two power-play goals.

Mercyhurst opened the first quarter with a turnover caused by Katie Ventresca, setting up a successful clear. Natalie Wilson capitalized on a free position attempt at 10:13, leveling the score at 1-1. Whitley Easton then converted another free position shot, giving the Green and Blue a temporary lead at 8:28.

Despite their efforts, the Golden Griffins responded with three goals, including one from a free position by Leah Pfeiffer with 46 seconds left, concluding the quarter with Canisius leading 4-2.

Mercyhurst faced a challenging second quarter against Canisius, as they were unable to capitalize on its opportunities. Despite multiple attempts, the Lakers encountered difficulties in clearing the ball, resulting in turnovers. Canisius took advantage of these miscues, with Maddie Fitzgerald and Meg Hiltz contributing to a series of goals that widened the gap. Maggie Allen made several saves to mitigate the damage, but Mercyhurst headed into the break trailing 13-2.

Mercyhurst faced a challenging third quarter as Canisius seized control early with a series of goals, extending their lead significantly. Despite Canisius's momentum, Mercyhurst's Emma McCaffery won a crucial draw control late in the quarter. This set up Whitley Easton to score at 3:45, marking Mercyhurst's only goal of the quarter. The quarter concluded with the Lakers trailing Canisius, resulting in a final score of 20-3.

In the fourth quarter, Easton made a significant impact with two goals, both from free position shots, tightening the gap against Canisius. The first goal came at 10:45, and the second, a man-up opportunity, followed at 9:05 after a yellow card on Canisius. Despite Canisius' attempts to regain control, including a goal by Natalie Chin, Mercyhurst continued to challenge defensively, with AJ Jameson making a crucial save at 6:37. The quarter ended with the scoreboard showing Mercyhurst 5, Canisius 22, concluding the game.

Easton led the Lakers with four goals on 13 shots, including two power-play goals, demonstrating her effectiveness in front of the net. Wilson added a goal, converting on one of her two shots on target.

Mercyhurst has an overall record of 0-4. Canisius holds a record of 5-2.