>>The Red Flash come up short against Bucknell and Long Beach State, 7-6 and 22-6, on the first day of the Michigan Invitational.
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME
Saint Francis's first game of the day was hard-fought on both sides, with the Bison leading by only 6-3 going into the fourth quarter. Bucknell scored again early in the quarter, but the Red Flash mounted a close comeback to make it a one-goal game.
Aubrey Miller (Mohnton, Pa.) began the scoring with 6:35 remaining. Just over three minutes later,
Emese Szucs (Budapest, Hungary) found the back of the net.
Kayla Rhoads (Oceanside, Calif.) tallied the final goal of the game.
The Red Flash were down 17-6 against No. 8 Long Beach State with just eight minutes remaining. The Beach did not hold back offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring five more goals and preventing Saint Francis from finding the back of the net.
FLASH MOMENTS
The Red Flash's other three goals were scored in the first quarter against Bucknell.
Caylah Olay (Redondo Beach, Calif.) began scoring. Bucknell responded, but Szucs scored her first goal of the game to give Saint Francis a 2-1 lead. With 2:37 remaining in the opening frame,
Sam Eschleman (Reading, Pa.) found the back of the net, extending the early Saint Francis lead to 3-1.
Saint Francis scored two goals in each of the first three quarters against Long Beach State. Olay again tallied the first goal of the game. Megan Marlin (Flower Mound, Texas) found the back of the net with 1:37 remaining in the first for a 3-2 score. The scoring for Saint Francis in the second quarter was all Olay, notching her second and third goals of the game, picking up a hat-trick on a power play. Down 15-4 in the third quarter, Lucy Willis (Ft. Thomas, Ky.) cut the Beach's lead before Olay scored Saint Francis's final goal.
FLASH NUGGETS
Szucs led scoring against the Bison with two goals. Eschleman tallied the lone assist. Against Long Beach State, Olay led the team in goals with four. Rhoads and Szucs each picked up two assists.
Defensively, Olay and Isabel Lumley (Brisbane, Australia) each recorded two steals against Bucknell. Lumley notched 12 steals in net. Lumley and Grace Raquel (Naperville, Ill.) each tallied five saves against the Beach.
UP NEXT
Saint Francis will face UC Merced and the University of Toronto tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m., respectively.
