HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 7, 2020)  – Three different student-athletes scored two goals each, but the Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team fell to Rowan University 13-10 Saturday in a non-conference game played at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Seniors Hannah Condren and Kyra Bednarski, along with freshman Maddie Schmidt combined for six goals for the Ducks, who fell to 2-2 on the year.

Ashley Lechliter led Rowan with four goals and one assist as the Owls evened their record at 2-2. Rowan has won the last three meetings between the teams, but Stevens still holds an 11-7 advantage in the all-time series. 

"Rowan played a great game and came in to win today," said head coach Karen Shaddock. "We came out slow and never found a rhythm. Natalie, [Julieann], Maddie and Maris played great and really stepped up."

"This was a good challenge for us and we will get better from it," Shaddock added.

Freshman Julieann Murphy recorded her first career multi-point game with a goal and two assists, while senior Bri Salera joined sophomores Morgan Westerby and Natalie Fitzpatrick in scoring one goal each. Condren collected an assist on Salera's first-half goal to round out the scoring.

Junior Peyton Taylor drew the start and made seven saves. Sophomore Lauren Cunniff relieved in the second half and stopped four shots for the second straight game. Reilly Shaup made 11 saves for Rowan, including six in the second half.

The teams began the day by alternating the first four goals of the contest. Abby Daigle opened the game's scoring in the second minute, converting a Julia Stumph pass to convert a woman-up opportunity to give the visiting Profs an early lead. Westerby converted an 8-meter shot less than one minute later for her third of the year to draw the teams even. The back-and-forth play continued much of the first half with the teams combining for 13 goals of the game's first 30 minutes.

Shannen Sterner notched her seventh of the year from eight meters to put Rowan back in front, but Bednarski scored after a long possession to even the score for the second time, while extending her goal-scoring streak to 39. 

Rowan's first separation of the day came on consecutive goals from Stumph and Lechliter to open a two-goal lead. Following the Profs' second power-play goal of the day, Rowan would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the day. 

Bednarski drew Stevens within one with her second of the day before Lechliter and Salera scored on consecutive possessions to keep Rowan ahead by one midway through the opening period. Rowan added a pair of goals to take a three-goal advantage Fitzpatrick and Schmidt scored in the final three minutes of the first half to pull Stevens back within one at the intermission.

The Profs came out strong in the second half, scoring four straight goals to open the stanza. The Ducks scored three of the next four goals to pull within three, but were unable to overcome Rowan's second-half scoring spurt.

Each team fired off 30 shots, with Stevens accumulating an 18-14 advantage in the first half, while Rowan posted a 16-12 edge in the second. Twenty-one of the Ducks' 30 shots registered on-net, while 19 of the Profs' 30 attempts were on target. Bednarski took six shots to lead the Ducks, while Conndren, Murphy and Schmidt took five shots each. Lechliter and Grlica took seven shots each to pace the Profs.

Sophomore Meredith Conlin caused two turnovers as Stevens earned six caused turnovers on 10 Rowan miscues. The Cortlandt Manor, New York native leads the MAC Freedom with an average of 4.25 caused turnovers per game. She remains ranked among the top-15 in the country in the defensive statistic. Although Stevens also committed 10 turnovers, the Profs only registered four caused turnovers. Each team turned the ball over five times in each half.

In a game where the swirling DeBaun Athletic Complex winds made passing treacherous, the Ducks out-earned the Profs 11-10 in ground balls. Senior Kayla Buell and Cunniff each picked up three to lead the Ducks, while Corson and Shaup each scooped up two to lead Rowan.

Stevens was able to win a season-high 15 draw controls, thanks to the efforts of Westerby and Fitzpatrick. The sophomore tandem combined for 11 of the Ducks' 15 draws, with Murphy earning two. Condren and Schmidt accounted for one draw control each to round out the Ducks' efforts. Grlica paced Rowan with four. 

Each team battled the winds to turn in productive afternoons on clearances. Stevens was successful on 18 of its 20 clearing attempts, while Rowan was successful on 18 of 19. For the season, the Ducks are successfully converting 79.2 percent of their clears.

Condren scored twice on free-position shots as the Ducks went 3 for 8 on their tries from the 8-meter line on the afternoon. The Profs were 5 of 7 on their free-position attempts.

Up Next: Women's Lacrosse hits the road for a pair of games at Union (March 11) and MIT (March 14). 

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