Box Score

MADISON, N.J. – The Susquehanna women's lacrosse team held off a late push by Drew University and held on for a 16-15 victory on Saturday afternoon in Madison, N.J.

What had been a five-goal Crusader lead was trimmed to just one in the closing minute of regulation but the SU defense held the Rangers scoreless for the final 3:17 of the game to hang on for the team's third Landmark Conference victory of the spring.

The Crusaders (5-3, 3-0) have now won four-straight games including conference wins against Scranton and the Rangers (6-3, 2-1).

Emma Ehler (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) and Michelle McGinniss (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) combined for 13 of SU's 16 goals with McGinniss accounting for the game winner. Each also added one assist while Ehler won seven draw controls and McGinniss five. Meredith Crane (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia) had a team-high two assists.

The Crusaders out-shot Drew by a 44-36 margin, won 18 draw controls to the Ranger's 15 and connected on 5-of-13 free position shots.

Goalie Alyssa Rothman (Trooper, Pa./Methacton) played all 60 minutes and finished with eight saves.

Drew jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before the Crusaders rattled off four unanswered goals, including two from McGinniss, to go up 4-2 with 20 minutes still to play in the half. SU scored three of the game's next four goals to lead by four (7-3) with 12:35 remaining.

The score stood 7-5 with just 2:44 left before McGinniss scored with 1:58 on the clock for an 8-5 SU lead.

The teams then broke out for a combined three goals over the final 30 seconds of the half with Emma Jones (Wolfeboro, N.H./Brewster Academy) scoring at the 30-second mark and Ehler netting a goal with just 18 seconds on the clock. The Rangers' Nikki Kleiman, however, also found the back of the net with a mere eight seconds remaining to make it a four-goal game (10-6) at halftime.

Kleiman struck first in the second half to trim Susquehanna's lead to three, 10-7, and teammate Charlotte Brown made it 10-8 with 25:50 on the clock.

Ehler scored the game's next two goals and McGinniss's score at 23:37 put the Crusaders in the lead by five (13-8).

The Rangers scored the next two goals of the game to make it 13-10 with 20 minutes still remaining in the game. SU, though, went back up by five (15-10) with goals from McGinniss and Ehler.

Drew scored the following two goals for a 15-12 game inside the 14-minute mark of the half.

It remained 15-12 for the next six minute before Drew strung together back-to-back-to-back goals to suddenly tie the game with 5:15 to play. McGinniss then put her team on top 16-15 with a goal at the 3:17 mark of the half.

The Crusader defense made sure McGinniss's goal stood up as SU improved to 3-0 in conference play.

Susquehanna returns to action on April 5 when the team travels to Widener for a 1 p.m. game.