INDIANA, Pa. - A goal by Brenna Whiteside with under 12 minutes to go made it a one-goal game but IUP women's lacrosse could not complete the second half comeback as the Crimson Hawks fell to Mercyhurst 9-6 on Wednesday afternoon at Miller Stadium. 

With the result, the teams are now tied for second in the PSAC West standings with 8-3 divisional records. The Hawks are 11-5 overall, Mercyhurst is 12-4. The teams split their regular season series as IUP won 12-11 in Erie. 

Who stood out
Sarah Reustle: 2 goals, 5 draw controls, 3 caused turnovers, 2 ground balls
Maggie Marsteller: 3 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers
Hannah Sharkey: 2 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers

How it happened
The Crimson Hawks took a 2-1 lead midway through the first quarter on goals from Katie Hibinger and Chloe Borland. Mercyhurst responded with two goals in the first quarter and two more in the second to take a 5-2 lead into the half. 

The Lakers scored once more in the third to go up by four before the Hawks stopped the 5-0 run with a goal from Emme Mass with 4:22 to play in the quarter. Sarah Reustle followed with a pair of goals, cutting the lead to 6-5, before Mercyhurst scored at the end of the quarter to take a two-goal lead to the fourth. 

Whiteside's goal made it 7-6 but the Lakers ended the game with a pair of unanswered goals for the win. IUP had just two more shots after Whiteside's goal while the Lakers' scored came on back-to-back possessions at the 6:17 and 4:03 marks. 

Mercyhurst finished with a 24-to-13 advantage in shots won 13 draws to the Hawks' six. 

Up next
Already with a spot clinched in the PSAC tournament, the Crimson Hawks are still fighting for a seeding and a quarterfinal home game next week. IUP finishes its regular season on Saturday at Slippery Rock.

Follow
For coverage of the IUP women's lacrosse program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPlacrosse and online at IUPAthletics.com.