Box Score

ONEONTA, N.Y. – Despite taking an early lead, the Mount Saint Mary College women's lacrosse team (0-1) was unable to overcome a strong Hartwick College (1-0) attack, falling 15-9 in the Knights' season opener on Saturday at Wright Stadium.

The Knights scored four straight goals, including back-to-back two by freshman attacker Katie Gattoni (Old Tappan, N.J.), to take a 4-1 lead at the 17:18 mark in the first half. The Hawks responded with seven straight scores to take an 8-4 lead into halftime.

Freshman defender Amanda Clemens (Baldwin, N.Y.) opened the second frame with a goal to end the Hawks' scoring streak, but the home team came back with a pair of goals just 14 seconds apart from each other, the second coming from Meg Luce, which proved to be the game winner as the Hawks' 10th goal.. The Hawks scored a total of seven goals in the second half, while the Knights managed just five.

Hartwick was led by Lauren Rosenberg who picked up six points on four goals and a pair of assists. Kia Ference matched her with four goals, adding an assist for a five-point afternoon. Steph Luce picked up the victory for the Hawks, making nine saves.

Gattoni picked up a hat trick in her first collegiate game with three goals. Sophomore defender Claire Duffy (Monroe, N.Y.) matched her with three points on a pair of goals and an assist. Senior defender Molly Bauer (Levittown, N.Y.) scooped up a game-high six groundballs. Sophomore goalkeeper Deirdre Ray (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) suffered her first loss of the season after allowing 15 goals and stopping nine shots.

The Knights were outshot by the Hawks on the afternoon, 29-25, including 24 shots on goal to 18. Hartwick held a 14-11 edge in draw controls. The Knights were successful on 14-of-20 clear attempts, while their opponents completed 12-of-24.

The Knights return to action on Thursday, Feb. 27, when they take another road trip for a non-conference matchup at Marywood University. The game is set to begin at 4 p.m.

Follow the Knights on Twitter at @MSMCKnights