BOX SCORE LORETTO, Pa. (March 20, 2012) – It was another frustrating outing for the Saint Francis U. lacrosse team in front of the home crowd on Tuesday as the Red Flash fell to Duquesne, 18-5, to end a string of four contests at DeGol Field.

Senior Kate Simmons (Delran, N.J./Delran) tallied a hat trick to lead the Flash (1-6) but it wasn't enough to keep the pace with the visiting Dukes.  Duquesne (6-3) got a game-high four goals from Haley Marafioti and three goals apiece from Meredith Dunn and Clare Hurley.

After Duquesne jumped out to a quick two-goal advantage, Simmons scored the first of her season-best three goals at the 20:04 mark to pull within one.  The Dukes, however, exploded to tally nine of the game's next 10 goals to jump out to an, 11-2, halftime edge.

Danielle Conwell (Roxbury, N.J./Roxbury) and Kara Ledgerwood (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) each scored for the Red Flash in the second half.

The Dukes ended up with a 39-to-16 advantage in shots and a 25-to-13 edge in ground balls.

Saint Francis opens Northeast Conference play on Friday when it visits Monmouth for a 3 p.m. match.