PITTSBURGH — The Duquesne University lacrosse team mounted a second-half rally but came up short against visiting Saint Joseph's, falling 14-10 on Wednesday afternoon at Rooney Field.

The Dukes trailed 11-3 with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter before igniting a comeback with four straight goals and a 5-1 run to pull within four. Corinne Webb and Mackenzie Leszczynski each scored twice during the stretch, while Chelsea Evans started the surge with a goal off a feed from Leszczynski. Duquesne narrowed the gap to 11-7 early in the fourth, but the teams traded goals the rest of the way as Saint Joseph's held off the push.

Leszczynski led the Dukes with five points, finishing with four goals for the second consecutive game and adding an assist. Webb notched her sixth hat trick (or better) of the season with four goals. Evans and Gracin Emerson each scored once, with Emerson also recording her team-leading 21st assist.

Hanna Pawela paced the defensive effort with three caused turnovers, two ground balls and two draw controls. Emily King added a team-high four ground balls and contributed two caused turnovers.

The Dukes went 4-for-6 on free-position attempts, with Webb and Leszczynski each converting 2-of-3.

Freshman Megan Marco made her first career start in the contest.

Megan LaBorne took the loss in goal but recorded eight saves, her third consecutive game with at least eight stops. Korrigan Sweeney played over 14 minutes in the second half and made one save.

UP NEXT
Duquesne hits the road for the final time this season, traveling to Richmond on Saturday. First draw is scheduled for noon.

POSTGAME QUOTE

"Given everything that went on in the game — which got chaotic at times — I'm proud of how we competed until the end. I thought our energy was there today, and that reflects the culture we're building. During this tough stretch, we've focused a lot on ourselves and staying true to our values.

I like our mindset — we're playing to win, we're being unselfish, and players are generating ideas. All of that will serve as a foundation for our future. We're experiencing some disappointments, but we're also growing into a better team. Our focus now is on finishing the season strong," said head coach Tracy Coyne postgame.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow Duquesne Lacrosse all season online at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqLax).