HUNTINGDON, PA – The Susquehanna University women's lacrosse team suffered a setback Wednesday night at Landmark-foe Juniata in a 15-14 defeat. A pair of early three-goal leads were washed away as the game turned to a back-and-forth battle down to the wire. Susquehanna led 11-10 after three periods before Juniata scored a pair to regain the lead. The River Hawks returned the favor to get back in front 13-12, only for three straight Eagles scores proving too much to overcome.

Hannah McNamara provided the bulk of Susquehanna's scoring with five points on four goals and one assist, officially surpassing the 100 career point mark with her second goal in the second quarter that put Susquehanna up 7-6 and ignited the second of SU's three-goal run to put them up 9-6. Allie Kutler was next on the scoring list for the River Hawks with four points, splitting her goals and assists evenly. Her second assist and fourth point of the day set up McNamara with her fourth score that gave Susquehanna a 13-12 fourth-quarter lead.

Juniata's Peyton Goodrich gave her team the edge with seven points on six goals and one assist. Her last two goals proved to be the turning point as they were the first of the Eagles' three-goal run that put them back in front 15-13 with 7:25 to go. The River Hawks held JC scoreless for the remainder of the game in hopes of planning another comeback attempt. They got closer thanks to Emma Kelleher's lone goal of the night to put them within one with 3:21 remaining. From then on it was a battle for possession, with Susquehanna unable to attempt another shot before time expired.

Aerin O'Brien presided in goal all 60 minutes, gathering eight saves. Her counterpart, Caoilinn Heatley, made 11 saves on the evening in as much time. Other statistical highlights included Liv Owen and Heather Riefenhauser, both solid career points contenders, each having three points on one goal and two assists. Owen now has 145 career points on 71 goals and 74 assists, while Riefenhauser sits with 175 points on 93 goals and 82 assists. Kelsey Homberg and Abby Andrus each had two goals, while Caitlin Harvey had the one remaining score for Susquehanna.

The defeat puts Susquehanna in the middle of the Landmark standings at 2-3, while holding an 8-5 overall record. Above them are conference unbeatens Scranton, followed by Moravian, Catholic, and Juniata, with the latter three holding victories over the River Hawks. With this year's conference tournament expanded to six, Susquehanna continues to hold a firm grip on its playoff hopes. They look to rebound this Saturday on Senior Day hosting Landmark newcomer Wilkes University for a noon matchup at Sassafras Field. The River Hawks' eight seniors are Madi Mitchell, Liz Hordesky, Caitlin Harvey, Hannah McNamara, Abbey Alex, Heather Riefenhauser, Kelsey Homberg, and Katie Quackenboss.