NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Eagles scored three unanswered goals in the final four minutes of the contest, but it wouldn't be enough to push them over the top and the American University lacrosse team would fall 13-12 to Iona on Wednesday afternoon.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Senior midfielder Hannah Spease had herself a day, finishing the contest with six goals on six shots on goal, two were free position shots. She also had two ground ball pickups and grabbed five draw controls. Spease is only seven draw controls away from a career 100.
• Reagan Murdoch, sophomore midfielder, scored three goals on the afternoon for a hat trick. Two of Murdoch's goals came within the last 1:37 of the contest to bring the difference down to just one goal separating the two sides.
• Annabelle Jackson, Lizzie de Guzman, and Kristen Hegarty each tallied a goal apiece while Jenna Walls, Nicki Prendergast, and Kellie Linehan each notched an assist.
• On defense, Walls had three caused turnovers and three ground balls and Jordan Mitchell led with six draw controls. Mitchell picked up a ground ball and had a caused turnover. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the span of less than five minutes, Spease had scored a hat trick. The first three Eagles' goals were all Spease, with an assist going to Linehan on the first goal just 50 seconds into the game. Her second goal was off a free position shot, and the third goal was a solo goal at the 11:50 mark of the first.
• After that three-goal run from the Eagles, the Gaels spent the remainder of the first and opening five minutes of the second frame going on a 6-0 unanswered run to overtake the Eagles.
• Two goals came in the first and the subsequent four came from the Gaels in the second period. At this point in the contest, AU goalkeeper Caleigh Forti had made seven saves from 13 shots faced while the Iona keeper had just three saves from six shots faced.
• Coming out of the break, Iona grabbed two quick goals, at 14:21 and 13:31 in the third, to make it eight unanswered goals, up 8-3 over the Eagles.
• The run was finally broken up by Hegarty on a solo goal forty seconds later, with 12:50 to go in the third period.
• The Gaels grabbed another goal less than a minute later, but the Eagles, now fired up, hit the back of the net twice more in quick succession and by the 10:08 mark, AU had narrowed the gap to 9-6. Spease scored her fourth, the Eagles' fifth, while Murdoch managed to get on the board for the first time.
• Iona, not letting their lead go lightly, added another, pushing the gap back to four, up 10-6 with 7:46 to go in the penultimate period.
• Spease though, was on fire. She scored the next two Eagles before Jackson pitched in a third AU goal in a row and the squad was down just one, 10-9, with 1:30 to play in the third frame.
• Iona grabbed the next three goals in the contest, to open the fourth frame with a run and push the lead back to four, 12-9, over the Eagles with 10:43 to play in regulation.
• With 3:41 to play, Walls and de Guzman connected for the goal, the former with the assist and latter with a goal. It was de Guzman's first goal of the season.
• Murdoch would score two more AU goals, one with 1:37 left to play, and the second with just 40 seconds to go in the contest, but it wouldn't be enough to push for overtime, and the Eagles would fall just shy of the comeback, dropping 13-12.

NEXT UP
The squad will come back home to Jacobs Complex for a two game home stand starting with a face off with Siena on Saturday, Mar. 16 at 1 p.m. before having a week off to get ready to take on Colgate on Saturday, Mar. 23 at noon.
 
KEEP UP WITH US
For the latest on American University lacrosse, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@au_lacrosse) and Instagram (@au_wlax).