HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 30, 2021)  – Sophomore Zoe Cook netted her third multi-goal performance of the season, but the Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team fell to No. 19 Messiah University 21-9 Tuesday in a non-conference matchup at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Fifth-year Kyra Bednarski totaled six goals and an assist to extend her career scoring streak to 67 games and her career goal streak to 45. Junior Sam Gajda also scored for the Ducks, who dropped to 2-3 on the year. 

Rachel Delate had three goals and seven assists for the nationally-ranked Falcons, who remained perfect at 8-0. It was the first meeting between the programs since Mar. 16, 2005.

"Messiah is a good team and showed why they are No. 19 in the country," said head coach Karen Shaddock. "We took the first half to figure it out before playing to our level. I think a lot of things worked for us and we will use this to get better. This is a season that is totally different from any other year and this is just a game to help us prepare."

Cook scored a pair of second-half goals to surpass her total from the abbreviated 2020 campaign, while playing in the same number of games. She was one of three goal scorers on the day.

Fifth-year Emily Shanklin and junior Maeve McGovern each added an assist to round out the Ducks' scoring. The second-half helper for McGovern was her first point of the season.

Senior Peyton Taylor started and made a season-high four saves for the Ducks as all three netminders saw action in the same game for just the second time this season. Junior Lauren Cunniff relieved Taylor at the start of the second half and made three saves, while sophomore Kate Killian played the final five minutes. Heather Burnham made three saves to earn the win for Messiah, while Mackenzie O'Haver stopped five shots over the final 30 minutes in relief. 

Although Shanklin won the opening draw control, it was Messiah that scored the first goal of the day, with Abby Howard netting her 22nd of the year on the Falcons' first possession. The goal would spark a stretch that saw six different Falcons score in the game's first three minutes to give the guests a healthy cushion.

Bednarski put Stevens on the board with her 19th of the season, but consecutive goals from Howard, who finished with five markers on the afternoon, reclaimed an 8-1 lead for Messiah. Bednarski's second of the day was one for the highlight reel: the Syracuse, New York native stripped Messiah's Nicole Radcliffe in the attacking half of the field, then sprinted down the nearside sideline, beating Burnham with a nifty individual move from the slot area.

Bednarski would complete her fourth hat trick of the season to pull the Ducks within six, but the Falcons would score six of the next seven goals to take a 16-4 lead. The Ducks would provide some excitement in the waning moments of the opening half when Gajda found the back of the net for the second straight game to bring the Ducks to within 10 at the intermission.

Messiah would outscore the Ducks 4-3 in the second half to provide the final margin of victory.

The Falcons fired off 34 shots on the day against 27 for the Ducks. Of Messiah's 34 shots, 28 were on goal, while the Ducks fired 17 of their 27 on target. Bednarski and Zoe Cook took six shots to pace the Ducks, while Howard led all student-athletes with eight.

The teams combined for 35 turnovers on the day, with Stevens committing 18, while Messiah coughed up the ball 17 times. Katie Stottlemyer led the Falcons with two caused turnovers, while junior Meredith Conlin had two to pace the Ducks.

Messiah edged Stevens in ground balls, holding a slim 20-16 advantage in the statistic. Stottlemyer was one of four Falcons to scoop up three, while Conlin led the Ducks with two.

Messiah was able to build its first-half lead on the strength of a 15-7 margin in draw controls. Each side collected four over the game's final 30 minutes.

Each side had success in clears. Stevens was 15 for 18 on the afternoon, while Messiah was 14 for 17. For the season, the Ducks have been successful on 82 percent of their clears, which is the best mark for the team since the 2018 season.

Each team successfully converted three free-position attempts.

There was just one penalty in the contest, a green card to Messiah's Hope Flack in the second half that led to a free-position goal for Bednarski that proved to be the final tally for the day.

Up Next: Women's Lacrosse heads to Annville, Pennsylvania for a non-conference matchup with Lebanon Valley College on Apr. 1. The action gets underway at 4:00 p.m. in the first meeting between the teams since May 2015, where the Ducks edged the Flying Dutchmen 9-7 to win the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region Championship. A link for live stats is available on StevensDucks.com.

Please note that all event times, dates and opponents are subject to change and fans remain prohibited from attending Middle Atlantic Conference athletic events.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise