PITTSBURGH – The Hawks scored four of the first six goals to start the second half, but the Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team eventually fell to Duquesne, 15-8, at Rooney Field on Friday afternoon. In her first start of the season, junior attack Bonnie McShane scored a team-high three goals and added an assist to post a team-high four points. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 5-7 overall and 0-4 in the Atlantic 10 while Duquesne improves to 6-6 overall and 2-1 in league play.

Trailing 9-2 just 3:51 into the second half, Saint Joseph's put together a 4-1 run to pull to within four, 10-6, with 16:03 remaining in regulation.

During that run, sophomore defender Maggie Egan (24:55) and Mcshane (23:52), on an assist from freshman defender Aly Gormley, pulled the Hawks to within five, 9-4, on scores just 1:03 apart. After a Dukes goal at the 19:55 mark, senior midfielder Julia Falcone scored on an EMO free-position shot with 17:45 to play and McShane scored her third goal of the game just 1:42 later to pull the Hawks to within four, 10-4, with 16:03 remaining in regulation.

Despite goals by sophomore attack Nora McCallion and freshman attack Kristen Kelbon, the Dukes would rally on for a 5-2 run for the remainder of the game that would result in the 15-8 final.

For the game, Saint Joseph's and Duquesne fired off 25 shots apiece while Duquesne held slight edges in ground balls (19-16) and draw controls (13-12). The Hawks went 2-of-5 in FPS while Duquesne was fouled inside the 8-meter 10 times, converting on four of those opportunities. 

Junior midfielder Kelly Phelan led the Hawks in shots (5) and ground balls (4) and matched the team-high two caused turnovers.

Saint Joseph's senior goalkeeper Nora McGeever (5-7, 0-4 A-10) made two saves while allowing eight goals in the first 30:00 for the loss. Junior goalkeeper Genevieve Giblin made five saves and allowed seven goals in a season-high 30:00 in the second half. 

Duquesne jumped out to an 8-2 halftime lead with three goals apiece from Tess Drotar and Kaelin Shaw. 

Trailing 2-0 after a pair of early Duquesne goals to start the game, McShane struck first. From directly behind the Dukes' net, McCallion dished a quick pass up to McShane, who had shaken her defender and cut to the left to meet McCallion's pass right in front of the net. McShane tucked away her third goal of the season into the upper left corner to put the Hawks on the board at the 23:01 mark.

Phelan would score her team-leading 24th goal of the season on a dish from sophomore midfielder Katelyn Ambrose from the right side of the field to make the score 3-2, in favor of the Dukes, with 14:17 to play.

Duquesne, however, would score the final five goals of the first half.

The Hawks with close out their 2015 regular-season road slate at St. Bonaventure this Sunday, April 12. Start time at the Marra Complex in St. Bonaventure, N.Y.