EASTON, Mass. - Despite a valiant effort in the second half, where they outshot Stonehill 9-5, the Sacred Heart University women's lacrosse team fell short of a comeback, ultimately losing to the Skyhawks with a final score of 13-11.

Shae Insinga and Jamie Tanner emerged as the leading forces for the Pioneers, each contributing three goals to the team's effort. Tanner's two assists further bolstered her performance as the sophomore attack finished with a team-high five points. Both Insinga and Tanner have recorded two hat tricks this season.

Taylor Farace also made a significant impact, securing a multi-goal performance for the Pioneers.

Records:
Sacred Heart (2-5)
Stonehill (3-5)

Top Performers:
Jamie Tanner – 5 points (3g, 2a), 1 ground ball, 1 caused turnover
Shae Insinga – 3 goals, 1 ground ball, 3 draw controls
Maci Black – 1 goal, 3 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers

Between the Pipes:
Lisa Martin (2-5) – 8 Goals-Against | 3 Saves
Margaret Morgan – 5 goals-Against | 5 Saves

How it Happened:
Sacred Heart struggled to find its rhythm early, failing to score on five shot attempts until the 6:10 mark of the first period, when Insinga broke through to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Stonehill quickly answered, however, firing off two goals from two different players to take a 2-1 lead by the end of the first.

After the break, the game intensified as Sacred Heart came out strong, with Farace scoring at 13:27 to tie the game at 2-2. But once again, Stonehill responded swiftly, adding two more goals just 28 seconds apart to extend their lead to 4-2. 

The Skyhawks' offense continued to dominate, netting four unanswered goals in the final 7:24 of the second period to take an 8-2 lead into halftime.

The third period saw a strong comeback from the Pioneers, who found themselves trailing by three, 9-6, after a 4-1 scoring run, capped by a goal from Tanner at 6:36 and solid goalkeeping from Morgan. However, Stonehill closed out the frame with the 11-7 lead heading into the final 15 minutes of regulation.

The fourth and final period was a thrilling display of back-and-forth action, with both teams exchanging goals. Sacred Heart, showing their fighting spirit, battled back to within three, once again, 12-9, following a goal from Sadie Stevens at 11:34. 

Despite another goal from the Skyhawks, the Pioneers kept battling, with Farace and Tanner each scoring to cut the deficit to 13-11 with 1:14 left. However, as the clock ticked down, Sacred Heart couldn't find the equalizer, ultimately falling to Stonehill and closing out their non-conference play with the loss.

Up Next:
The Pioneers return home to Campus Field on Saturday, March 22 as they open MAAC play against Manhattan. First draw is slated for 1:00 PM in Fairfield, Conn.