Box Score  | Photo Gallery | Shefferly Interview
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport women's lacrosse team went into intermission with a two-goal lead but had to play cat-and-mouse with Aquinas as the Saints used four straight goals in nearly two minutes late in the second half to escape with a 17-14 win over the Panthers in the regular-season finale under the lights at DU Turf Field Saturday. The two crosstown rivals will meet again for the third time in two weeks Thursday in the semifinal of the WHAC Tournament. The contest, held at Aquinas, is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.
 
Kaitlyn Lowden led the effort for the Panthers (7-7, 2-4 WHAC) with five goals and an assist, Tara Pluger and Hannah Maroe both added three goals while Schae Hoebeke netted a pair. Maroe was the only Lady Panther to notch a pair of assists on the evening.
 
Pluger drew first blood of the heated battle at 28:17 and Kati Rogers got the Saints (9-4, 3-2 WHAC) on board 40 seconds later. Pluger would break the tie again at 23:47 and Hoebeke gave DU a 3-1 lead with 20:46. The Saints countered when Abby Lux scored 21 seconds later and Lauren McCarty knotted it up 3-3 at 12:36. Lowden and Maroe helped Davenport take a 5-3 lead within the final 10 minutes of the half.
 
The lead would disappear when Aquinas scored two goals in the first 2:09 of the latter half. Both teams would trade off goals until the Saints found a rhythm that set the tone of the game, scoring three goals in 56 seconds to take a 9-7 lead with 21:01 left.
 
Davenport would keep pace with Aquinas until the Saints scored four consecutive goals in the span of two minutes.
 
Post-Game Notes
Davenport falls to 0-5 all-time against Aquinas…After scoring five goals and notching an assist, Kaitlyn Lowden still sits seventh in the program's career points list with 72, chasing teammate's Taylor Balch's 91…Lowden has 66 career goals and sits sixth behind Balch's 69.
 
Follow Davenport Athletics on: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | You Tube
 
Follow Davenport Women's Lacrosse on: TWITTER