Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – A 9-4 halftime lead translated into a 16-9 Landmark Conference championship victory for No. 11 Susquehanna women's lacrosse over Catholic on Saturday afternoon.

The conference title is the first for SU since joining the Landmark in 2007 and first title overall since 2002, when the Crusaders won the Middle Atlantic Conference.

The No. 1-seeded Crusaders (17-0) rattled in five unanswered goals in the first eleven minutes to jump out on the No. 2 seeded Cardinals (8-10). The scoring barrage to begin the game was capped off by a goal from Michelle McGinniss (Randolph, N.J. / Randolph).

The Cardinals battled back, however, and went on a 3-1 run to trim the SU lead to 6-3. But the Crusaders closed out the first half in strong fashion, scoring three more times, including a McGinnis score with 22 seconds remaining, to hold the lead at intermission 9-4.

Catholic scored the second half's first goal to get within four (9-5), but the Crusaders responded with four goals in the next six minutes to increase their advantage 13-5.Annie McElaney (Natick, Mass. / Natick) had two scores only 21 ticks apart during that span.

Catholic notched back-to-back scores to trim the Crusader lead to 13-7 but three more goals by SU held off the Cardinals and handed the Crusaders their first Landmark title.

McGinniss scored a game-high six goals on seven shots and added two assists, three ground balls and eight draw controls. McElaney registered a hat-trick and Brynn Reid (West Grove, Pa./  Avon Grove), Emma Ehler (Chatham, N.J. / Chatham) and Lindsey Derstine (Coopersburg, Pa. / Southern Lehigh) all had two goals apiece to lead SU offensively.

Emma Jones (Wolfeboro, N.H. / Brewster Academy) had a game-high six ground balls and chipped in with two assists. Emily Stankaitis (Honeoye Falls, N.Y. / Honeoye Falls-Lima) faced twenty shots and finished with 11 saves in net.