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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Tara Pluger scored five goals and added an assist but it wasn't enough as the Davenport women's lacrosse team couldn't recover from an early deficit in its 21-9 setback at crosstown rival Aquinas in a Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference contest Tuesday evening. The two schools will meet again Saturday at DU Turf Field, but before they do, the Panthers will need to visit Fort Wayne, Ind., Wednesday to play first-place Indiana Tech at 5 p.m.
 
The Panthers (7-5, 2-2 WHAC) had trouble winning and maintaining possession throughout the game. The Saints won the ground ball category 40-22 as well as the draw control 22-10.
 
While Mackenzie VanDerWarf, Nikki Herrmann, Kaitlyn Lowden and Taylor Balch each tallied a goal, netminder Lena Henderson was able to stop nine shots between the posts.
 
The Panthers couldn't find a way to stop Lauren McCarty, who would score the first three of her eight-goal day in the first 10 minutes of the game. Although Herrmann got Davenport on the board with a free position shot at 20:18, Aquinas got into a four-goal run to take a 7-1 lead with 18:14 left.
 
Pluger would score her first goal of the day at 15:57; Balch netted her only goal at 7:07 before Pluger scored her second just over a minute later.
 
The Panthers found a rhythm in the second half. Pluger scored at 28:47 and VanDerWarf followed 14 seconds later. Pluger would find the back of the net again at 26:51 to cut Aquinas lead to 11-7. But the Saints would run away with the lead when they added six goals to take a 17-8 lead with 18:17 left.
 
Post-Game Notes
Davenport falls to 0-4 all-time against Aquinas…The 21 goals allowed by the Panthers is the most this season…Tara Pluger matched her season-best five goals for the fourth time this season…Mackenzie VanDerWarf scored her first goal since March 1 at Chowan.