SELINSGROVE, PA – It had been eight years since Susquehanna women's lacrosse's last home Landmark Tournament game and ten since winning such a game. On Tuesday night The River Hawks ended both droughts with a satisfying 13-12 win over Moravian in the Landmark Conference Quarterfinals, giving them a berth in the league semifinals at two-seeded Catholic Thursday at 4 p.m. Susquehanna, holding the third seed in the tournament, also used the occasion to exact revenge on the sixth-seeded Greyhounds who escaped Selinsgrove back on March 28 with a 14-13 victory.

Tuesday did, however, come with its own set of challenges. The River Hawks were forced to play without Kelsey Homberg, who suffered an injury Saturday at Elizabethtown. The day also called for rain and thunderstorms, in which the rain intermittently doused Sassafras Field, while the threat of thunder pushed the game back to 7 p.m. after originally being scheduled for 6 p.m. Once the game commenced, an actual challenge fell upon Susquehanna as two quick Moravian goals put the Greyhound in front, 2-0, early in the first period. This triggered a nine-goal opening quarter, which the River Hawks worked their way back into soon enough. Faced with Moravian's scoring threat Jackie Salvatore, who broke the MU record for points in one season by scoring two of the team's first three goals, Susquehanna answered back with a goal from Emma Kelleher on a free position, followed by scores from Hannah McNamara and Liv Owen to tie the game at 3-3 with 5:27 remaining in the quarter. While the Greyhounds pulled back in front with Alex Cherenson's 63rd goal of the season, the River Hawks closed out the period with more scores by McNamara and Kelleher to lead 5-4 after one.

While Susquehanna had no problem finding scoring chances, what eluded them was the ability to go on a scoring run, never leading by more than one goal throughout the night. After their early 2-0 lead Moravian was unable to do the same in a back-and-forth contest that went to halftime knotted up at nines. Moravian's Salvatore delivered three of the team's five goals in the second period, while Allie Kutler, Kelleher, McNamara, and Heather Riefenhauser each provided the second-quarter offense, with McNamara's coming on a one-up opportunity. SU's defense played superb throughout the night as goalie Aerin O'Brien earned eight saves on the evening, with four of them on free position opportunities. The defensive unit caused eight turnovers and forced Moravian into six failed clears in a 13-of-19 showing. McNamara's opening score was seized on a turnover opportunity, as Greyhounds goalie Kayla Graef attempted to pass the ball upfield on a clear attempt, which was intercepted by McNamara who buried it in the back of the net.

Susquehanna drew first blood in the second half almost instantly as Allie Kutler picked up the opening draw control and delivered her 22nd goal of the season for a 10-9 lead. However, in the lowest-scoring quarter of the night with three, Moravian accounted for the remaining two scores, the first from Reagan Reiner to tie it up with 6:23 to go and Salvatore's fifth of the game offered the Greyhounds an 11-10 lead entering the fourth. Out of the darkness emerged a clutch performer for Susquehanna to start the fourth-quarter scoring in Abby Andrus. A Landmark Player of the Week selection that tied the conference record with 11 goals in one game, Andrus' number was called on for the game-tying score as Liv Owen fed her following Susquehanna winning the draw control to tie things at 11-11 with 14:10 remaining. McNamara put the River Hawks back in front three-and-a-half minutes later on an assist from Kelleher, but the Greyhounds refused to go away. This time for Moravian it was Alex Cherenson doing the honors to tie the game back up at 12-12 with 6:34 to play. The tie wouldn't last long as Kutler won the draw control, then scampered down the field for the go-ahead score at 13-12 with 5:56 to play. Susquehanna had one more scoring chance when Caitlin Harvey lined up for a free position shot, but was denied by Graef with under two-and-a-half minutes remaining. O'Brien returned the favor with interest on Moravian, denying Salvatore on Moravian's ensuing possession. After a failed clear brought the Greyhounds back in scoring position, O'Brien knocked away Cherenson's bid with under 90 seconds, giving Susquehanna free reign to hold the ball for the remainder of the contest.

Kutler led all scorers with six points on three goals and three assists, while McNamara totaled four goals and Kelleher five points on three goals and two assists. Owen finished with three points on the night with 1 goal and two assists, while Riefenhauser and Andrus had one goal apiece. McNamara also led with five ground balls and seven shots, including six on goal, while Kutler had seven draw controls and Kelleher five.

The win improved the River Hawks' record to 13-5 for the most wins in a season under seventh-year head coach Randall Swope and her first win over Moravian in seven tries. It is Susquehanna's highest season wins total since their 17-1 Landmark championship campaign in 2013. A tougher challenge awaits the River Hawks Thursday at Catholic, who they have not beaten in 15 tries dating back to 2014 and who has eliminated Susquehanna from the Landmark Tournament two of the last three years. Moreover, they remain the only Landmark team Coach Swope has not beaten in seven years on the job.