RINDGE, N.H. (April 2, 2022) -- Graduate student Jenna Cimbron (Bristol, R.I.), junior Katelyn Hadden (Newburyport, Mass.) and senior Savannah Ernst (American Fork, Utah) all collected four points apiece on Saturday afternoon, and the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team held on in the fourth quarter to hand Southern Connecticut State a 12-11 loss in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sodexo Field. Senior Bayleigh Takacs went for seven points (5-2-7) and senior Karlie Rowe scored four times in defeat for the Owls.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 1-7 (1-5 NE10), while SCSU falls to 3-5 (2-3 NE10).

Leading 4-3 after one quarter, the Ravens used a 4-1 advantage in the second quarter to open up an 8-4 halftime lead. Franklin Pierce scored the first four goals of the stanza. Cimbron opened the frame just 54 seconds in, as she split the defense on a drive to the goal. Just 10 seconds later, senior Morgan Baxendale (Orchard Park, N.Y.) sprung graduate student Caroline Lounsbury (Franklin, Mass.) on a rush right off the draw control. Later in the frame, Cimbron found Hadden right out front for her first of the day, and then Hadden set up senior Kaitlyn Daly (LaGrangeville, N.Y.) for a quick finish. SCSU got one back before the intermission, when sophomore Brianna Shaw found Rowe behind the defense.

SCSU battled back with a 5-2 margin of their own in the third quarter, to cut the gap back down to 10-9. Rowe and Takacs scored the first two goals out of halftime, as the latter set up the former cutting through the middle of the defense on the first one, and then Takacs split a pair of defenders to set up a far-post shot for the second one. After Lounsbury found Ernst to get one back, Rowe struck for back-to-back goals just 52 seconds apart. A Hadden free-position shot and a solo effort from Shaw capped the quarter.

A pair of insurance markers early in the fourth would allow Franklin Pierce to hang on for its first win of the season. Just 39 seconds into the period, Hadden cut left and found senior Megyn Ayotte (Guilford, Vt.) going back against the grain for the easy finish. Less than two minutes later, Ernst found Daly down low for a quick shot to make it a three-goal lead (12-9).

The Ravens had to hold on for dear life in the end. Takacs put away a free-position with 11:42 to play to make it 12-10, and then the game went scoreless for a while. At the end of an extended possession in the waning moments, Takacs converted on another free-position to cut it to 12-11, with 17.2 seconds to play. SCSU won the ensuing draw, but senior Riley Lynch (Medford, Mass.) forced one final turnover to seal the deal.

Cimbron (3-1-4), Hadden (2-2-4) and Ernst (2-2-4) led the offensive efforts for Franklin Pierce, while Cimbron filled out a busy stat line with game highs in ground balls (6) and draw controls (5), and caused a pair of turnovers for good measure. Lynch and Ernst added three draw controls apiece.

For SCSU, it was all Takacs (5-2-7) and Rowe (4-0-4), as no other Owl recorded more than two points. Sophomore Sarah Robbins led the Owls with four draw controls, while sophomore Maggie Kallinich snagged a team-best three ground balls.

Senior goalkeeper Megan Bacik (Huntington Station, N.Y.) finished with five saves against 16 shots on her goal to pick up the win (1-1) in net for Franklin Pierce. Sophomore Sophie Kurtz (2-2) collected 10 saves on 22 shots at the other end and suffered the loss for SCSU.

The Ravens are back in action at home on Tuesday, with a 4 p.m. start against Saint Michael's at Sodexo Field.