LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Presbyterian College lacrosse team outscored the Liberty Flames by a 7-5 margin in the second half but could not overcome a halftime deficit and fell to the Flames, 16-10.
PC moves to 2-11 on the year and 0-3 in the Big South. Liberty improves to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in league play. The Blue Hose next take on Davidson away on Sunday at 1 p.m.
An 11-3 Liberty lead at halftime proved too much for the Blue Hose to overcome. Catherine Ellis (Charlotte, N.C.) led PC with three goals while Lauren Lefeber (Waxhaw, N.C.) chipped in a pair of goals as well. Five other Blue Hose each scored once, including Sarah Glenn Neidenbach (Spartanburg, S.C.) for the sophomore's first career goal.
Jaime Beamish (Memphis, Tenn.) collected a career-high nine ground balls, just two shy of the program record. The junior also controlled a team-best three draws.
Liberty scored the first three goals of the game before Lefeber put PC on the board with her 25th of the season at the 22:10 mark. Maddie Seiloff (Marietta, Ga.) followed from the free position just under five minutes later to pull PC within one, 3-2.
From there, Liberty went on an 8-0 run that stopped when Ellis beat goalkeeper Kristen Masullo to make the score 11-3 heading into the break.
The Flames notched the first two goals of the second half but the Blue Hose responded with three of their own, part of a 7-3 PC run to close the match. Neidenbach converted a Megan Schaaf (Ellicott City, Md.) feed 3:11 before Lefeber potted her second of the game. Brianne Ward (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished the run with a free-position goal to make the score 13-6.
Schaaf answered a Liberty goal for her third of the season and PC scored two more after Liberty's 15th goal of the game. Beamish talled her ninth of the campaign on a free position goal and Ellis followed 33 seconds later to cut Liberty's lead to six.
Ellis netted her 31st goal of the season with 1:01 remaining thanks to Beamish's 20th assist, but time ran out on a Blue Hose rally as Liberty took the win.
Liberty turned the ball over 13 times to PC's eight in the second half (21 to PC's 20 overall) and Nina Dunay led the Flames with five goals. Kallie Britton tallied four goals and two assists for a game-high six points.
Bridget Hogan (Charlotte, N.C.) made six saves for PC. Padgett Harrington (Apex, N.C.) stopped one shot in 11:11 of first-half action.
