DETROIT - The Youngstown State lacrosse team was defeated by Detroit Mercy, 13-8, in a Mid-American Conference duel at Titan Field.
The Penguins move to 0-10 overall and 0-2 in MAC play while the Titans improve to 2-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference with their second consecutive win.
Ally Garrett led YSU offensively, recording her second consecutive hat trick of goals. Five other Penguins found the back of the net as Katie Grottenthaler, Ava Kreutzer, Brooke Peck, Jade Shearer, and Genna Cooke each scored once. Lena Cox recorded two assists on the day.
Paige Borkowski made 13 saves while allowing 13 goals for an even .500 save percentage. This marks Borkowski's fourth consecutive game with 10-plus saves.
Jocelyn Fike led the Penguins in ground balls with three while Mia Stahl and Cooke both collected three draw controls.
Cat Kopchia led the Titans' scoring effort with five goals while Alyssa Jarvis and Leah Bodnar each scored three goals. Goalie Merideth Leavell made 14 saves for a .636 save percentage.
Detroit Mercy scored the first two goals of the game before Grottenthaler took it to the goal unassisted at the 5:43 mark of the first quarter to make the score 2-1.
The Penguins and Titans exchanged goals to close out the quarter as YSU's Shearer fired a Cox pass into the net to make the score 3-2 at the end of the first.
Detroit Mercy's leading-scorer Kopchia scored her first of the day to open the second quarter before YSU's Garrett answered with a free-position goal, making the score 4-3 with 10:43 to play until halftime.
The Titans scored two goals in under a minute at the five-minute mark of the second quarter before Peck scored off a free-position attempt with 2:04 remaining until halftime. Detroit Mercy owned a 6-4 lead over the Penguins headed into the second half.
Detroit Mercy opened the third quarter with two straight goals to extend their lead to 8-4. Garrett delivered her second free-position score of the day at the 6:58 mark of the third to make the score 8-5.
After a Titans' goal, the Penguins scored two goals in just over 30 seconds at the end of the third to bring the score deficit back to two, 9-7. Cooke scored the first of the run with 44 seconds to play before Garrett completed a hat trick with 11 seconds remaining in the period.
Detroit Mercy marched down the field in 10 seconds and scored to extend their lead to three, 10-7, headed into the final quarter.
YSU struck first in the fourth period when Cox connected with Kreutzer for the goal, but the Titans closed out the game with three unanswered to make the final score 13-8.
Detroit Mercy won the draw control margin 14-9 and outshot the Penguins 34-29.
Youngstown State will face St. Bonaventure on Wednesday in a non-conference matchup at the Tom 80' and Michelle Marra Athletics Field Complex in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. First draw is set for 4 p.m.
