Mercyhurst University Athletics

 ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst flag football team went 2-2 on Saturday as they hosted Mount St. Mary's and Franciscan for four games.
 
Game One vs Mount St. Mary's (L, 7-0)
Mercyhurst fell to Mount St. Mary's with a final score of 7-0 in the opening game of the day.
 
The first quarter began with Mercyhurst initiating a drive from its 14-yard line. Ellie Schau's pass was intercepted by Morgan Gregory, who returned it to the Mercyhurst 15-yard line, setting the stage for Mount St. Marys' first scoring opportunity.
 
The Mount scored on the ensuing drive, connecting for a 3-yard touchdown pass and converting the extra point to take a 7-0 lead.
 
The quarter ended with teams trading defensive stops.
 
The Lakers first drive of the second quarter saw them make their way downfield, but an interception halted them from scoring on the drive.
 
The half ended with Mount still up 7-0.
 
The second half was another defensive battle as both teams went scoreless and the Mountaineers earned the 7-0 victory.
 
Game Two vs Franciscan (W, 20-14)
Mercyhurst  got its first win of the day defeating, Franciscan, 20-14 in a closely contested matchup. The Lakers capitalized on their opportunities, scoring three touchdowns, and secured a crucial interception to maintain their lead.
 
Mercyhurst started the first quarter with a strong defensive stance, forcing two incomplete passes. Isabella Iaquinta's flag pull on Seida's 7-yard rush set the tone early. After a possession change, Ellie Schau connected with God'iss Santos for an 11-yard touchdown at 5:52, and Schau's successful rush for the extra point extended the Lakers' lead, 7-0.
 
Franciscan struggled offensively, with Sofia Lawson losing yardage on two consecutive rushes. A critical interception by Franciscan was neutralized by the Lakers' defense, keeping the score 7-0 in favor of the home team by the quarter's end.
 
In the second quarter, Schau scored on a 4-yard rush to extend the lead. Despite some setbacks, including a significant loss of yardage due to an interception, the Green and Blue capitalized on defensive penalties by Franciscan. The Barons' drive was hindered by the Lakers' defensive stops, culminating in an unsuccessful series of pass attempts as time in the quarter dwindled.
 
In the third quarter, Schau connected with Maria Osagie-Erese for a 25-yard gain, but the drive stalled shortly afterward.
 
The Barons' narrowed the Lakers lead in the fourth quarter, adding a 3-yard rushing touchdown at 2:38, followed by a successful pass attempt. However, the Lakers' defense held strong to end the game, securing a 20-14 win.
 
Game Three vs Mount St. Mary's (W, 13-0)
Mercyhurst shut out Mount St. Mary's with a 13-0 victory, scoring touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters. The Green and Blue's defense was key, intercepting two passes to maintain the advantage throughout the game.
 
Schau completed a 7-yard pass to Alexis Summers, advancing to their own 21-yard line. Despite a couple of successful completions, the Lakers' drive stalled, and they were forced to punt. Mount St. Mary's then took control but struggled to gain ground, with several plays resulting in losses, including two flag pulls by Cameryn Mullaly. The first quarter ended scoreless, with both teams' defenses effectively containing any offensive threats.
 
The second quarter saw the Lakers capitalize on Mount St. Marys' errors and defensive breakdowns. Schau connected with Mullaly for a 5-yard touchdown pass at 5:24, putting the Green and Blue on the board.
 
Mount St. Mary's struggled offensively, with several incomplete passes and a significant interception by Kyra Virginia at 1:52, which she returned 4 yards to the Mount 39. The Lakers maintained a 6-0 lead by halftime.
 
After a scoreless third quarter, the Lakers scored on the opening drive of the final stanza as Maria Osagie-Erese scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The extra point was good, putting the Lakers up 13-0 which would be the final score.
 
Game Four vs Franciscan (L, 19-13)
Mercyhurst fell to Franciscan in the second meeting between the teams of the day, 19-13, after a late surge in the fourth quarter was not enough to overcome an early deficit.
 
The first quarter began with Franciscan initiating a drive from its own 14-yard line. The Barons worked quickly to take a lead, scoring on a 2-yard rushing touchdown with a successful extra point to take a 7-0 lead.
 
The Lakers tried to respond, marching downfield, but couldn't capitalize on the drive.
 
Ellie Schau sparked the Lakers' momentum early in the second quarter with an 18-yard rush to the Franciscan 22-yard line. However, the drive stalled as Schau's subsequent passes fell incomplete or gained no ground.
 
Franciscan took over and managed to advance to the Lakers' 37. The Barons extended their lead with an 8-yard passing touchdown, going up 13-0.
 
The third quarter saw Mercyhurst struggle to gain momentum against Franciscan. ESchau initiated the quarter with a 6-yard rush and completed a 10-yard pass to Imani Frazier. However, the Lakers' drive was hindered by a holding penalty and ended with a punt that resulted in a loss of field position.
 
Franciscan capitalized on this with Seida rushing for an 8-yard touchdown, though their extra-point attempt failed, the Barons had a commanding 19-0 lead.
 
The fourth quarter saw a pivotal interception by Kyra Virginia, who picked off Annie Seida's pass at the 40-yard line and returned it 12 yards to the Barons' 28-yard line. The Lakers capitalized on this turnover with Schau rushing 8 yards and then completing a 19-yard pass to JoAnna Saad to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Schau, narrowing the score margin.Despite a missed rush attempt for the extra point, the Green and Blue maintained momentum.
 
Franciscan struggled offensively, committing multiple penalties and failing to advance significantly against a strong defensive showing by the Lakers. Mercyhurst scored again on a 55-yard touchdown by Alexis Summers, but the Lakers ran out of time to mount a comeback, falling 19-13.