BOX SCORE WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> The Saint Francis women's lacrosse team made some history on Friday night in its season opener at Oregon. It was the first time in team history the Red Flash faced a Power-5 Conference team, and the Loretto school battled the Ducks for 60 minutes, falling 17-7.
>> Julia Givens (Elverson, Pa.) notched a hat trick, while Danielle Hernandez (New Fairfield, Conn.) registered four points on a pair of goals and a pair of assists.
>> Bella Fisher (Duxbury, Mass.) added a tally and a helper, and Lizzie Fisher (Hagerstown, Md.) also found the net.
>> Taylor Coughlin (Hespeler, Ontario) made 10 saves in her first collegiate start.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
The Red Flash scored consecutive goals to end the first quarter and start the second quarter to tie the game at 2 at 14:11 on the clock before Oregon scored the final five-quarter tallies to go into halftime with a 7-2 edge.

Saint Francis cut the margin in half at 8-4 with 11:29 left in the third quarter and again at 12-6 with 10:13 on the clock in the fourth quarter but could get no closer.

FLASH MOMENTS
Playing its first Power-5 opponent, the Red Flash started strong. After going down 2-0, Hernandez found Lizzie Fisher at 8:32 for the first tally of the 2024 season. Hernandez then found the twine for the first time herself unassisted 49 seconds into the second quarter to tie the match at 2.

Saint Francis recorded back-to-back goals for the second time on the night in the third quarter. Givens got into the action after she took a pass from Hernandez and made a nice move around a defender at 13:07. Bella Fisher then scored for the first time this season on the team's first free-position goal of the year at 11:29 to cut the margin in half at 8-4.

In the fourth quarter, the Loretto program posted three unanswered goals. Givens started the run with an 8-meter goal at 10:49 before she completed the hat trick on a play that began on a free-position opportunity by Bella Fisher, who fed her the ball at 7:33 for the score. Hernandez twinkled the twine for the second time at 7:33 to cut the margin to 12-7.

FLASH NUGGETS
Givens, who missed the final five games of her freshman year, became the first player to register a hat trick in 2024. It was her fourth career game with at least three tallies and the first since she posted a career-high five markers against Stonehill on April 1, 2023. 

Coming off a 33-goal and 26-assist junior campaign, Hernandez started her final season with a bang. With her two assists, she moved into sixth place on the program's all-time career assist list with 37, and with her four points, she needs five points to become the 12th player in program history to reach 100 points in her career. The captain notched her 17th multi-goal performance of her career and nine games with at least four points.

Bella Fisher, the 2023 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, registered one goal and five draw controls in her first action of the season. The sophomore established new freshman standards in goals (42) and points (48) last season.

Coughlin made her first collegiate start and registered 10 saves. The junior, who missed last season with an injury, had 12 saves in seven games as a freshman.

Erika Ellison (Everett, Wash.), who was able to play on the West Coast in a neighboring state for the first time in her collegiate career, paced the defense with two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Bella Burke (East Moriches, N.Y.) added two ground balls and a caused turnover.

Saint Francis was making its second trip to the West Coast in program history after the squad played at Fresno State and Saint Mary's (Calif.) in 2017.

The Red Flash began its 22nd season on the road for the 15 time in program history and the second time under head coach Tracy Coyne.

NEXT UP
Saint Francis continues its two-game road trip to start the season at Rider on February 22. Match time is 1 p.m. The Broncs are in their first season of collegiate lacrosse.