The Shippensburg University women’s lacrosse team fell just short of the No. 20 Griffins of Seton Hill University Saturday, 14-12.

After kicking off the season with a solid 5-1 start, the Raiders have hit a rough patch in their season, dropping the past four games, with the final three being decided by two goals or fewer.

It is not for a lack of offense though, as Shippensburg out-chanced the Griffins 33-25 in shots. SU has been strong at pressuring attackers looking for opportunities on net this season, and Saturday was no different.

For SU, the opportunities are coming, but the team has struggled to capitalize on its opportunities. The Raiders’ Amanda Frank, set the tone early with her 25th goal of the season, which sparked a back-and-forth match that was close right down to the wire.

Seton Hill turned the ball over 22 times, aiding the Raiders in a last-minute push to regain control of the game. SU was unable to get over the hump however, managing to crack the Griffin’s defense just once on a goal from Amanda Frank as the clock wound down.

Momentum has been a major factor throughout this season, burning SU a few times with stretches of defensive breakdowns, which ended up biting the Raiders Saturday, as well. Shippensburg’s Maggie Lawshe broke open the second half with a huge goal to give the Raiders a 9-8 lead, but the Griffins poured on the pressure to answer back with five straight goals.

The Raiders added three more goals before the final whistle, but Seton Hill’s goaltender made some key saves down the stretch to preserve the team’s lead. The Raiders have had success in fighting off pressure this season in slowing down games with lengthy possessions, and then converting those possessions into offensive opportunities. Seton Hill just did not allow the Raiders to convert with its tremendous goaltending. The Griffins ended the game with 15 saves.

Shippensburg’s Kyra Shank had a breakout performance, slipping three goals past the Seton Hill goaltender for her second career hat trick. Frank, Ali Harclerode and Max Barkley all posted multi-goal efforts in the loss.

Barkley’s contributions were not just offensive. She was phenomenal on draw controls, winning 10, a season high and just one shy of her career high.

Shippensburg has struggled with in-conference teams, with Saturday’s loss dropping the team to 2-7 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play.

SU’s string of tough PSAC opponents continues Tuesday against West Chester University. The Raiders faceoff against the No. 11 ranked Golden Rams at Robb Sports Complex at 4:00 p.m.

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