IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata women's lacrosse team returned home on Wednesday afternoon to square off against Atlantic East foe Neumann. Immaculata and Neumann battled throughout the afternoon but the Knights managed to hold off the Mighty Macs as they prevailed by a final of 14-12 on a rain-soaked afternoon inside Draper Walsh Stadium.
 
Neumann opened the scoring just seconds into the first half of play before Immaculata answered with a goal of its own with just over four minutes later as Ashley Hankin found the back of the net to even the score at 1-1. Neumann would add another goal with 24:18 to play to regain a slim one-goal lead. Neumann added another goal with 23:08 to play in the half to claim a 3-1 lead.
 
Neumann followed this up with three more goals to extend its lead to 6-1 before Maura Murray scored her first goal of the game with 10:38 to play in the opening half to make the score 6-2.
 
Kaitlyn Klitchko continued the Macs comeback effort with  a goal of her own with 9:16 to play in the first half, which made the score 6-3. Neumann answered with a goal of its own with 7:12 to play in the first half to make the score 7-3. Immaculata responded with a goal from Erynn Kriebel off an assist from Klitchko to make the score 7-4. Klitchko added another goal with 4:18 to play to trim the deficit to just two goals making the score 7-5.
 
With 1:33 to play in the opening half, Neumann scored its eighth goal of the contest to make the score 8-5, which would remain the score heading to the halftime break.
 
Klitchko opened the second half with her third goal of the game to once again trim the deficit to just two goals making the score 8-6 with 27:42 to play in regulation. Neumann answered with a goal of its own less than a minute later to make the score 9-6 before registering another goal just moments later to make the score 10-6 early in the second half. Neumann continued its run with another goal with 25:07 to play in the second half to claim an 11-6 lead.
 
With 23:32 to play, Klitchko answered with another goal to make the score 11-7 in the early stages of the second half. Hankin scored her second of the game with 19:23 to play as Immaculata continued its comeback effort. With 16:24 to play, Klitchko scored her fifth goal of the contest to make the score 11-9, trimming the deficit to just two once again.
 
Neumann answered back with a goal of its own with 14:06 remaining in regulation to once again hold a three-goal lead at the midway point of the second half. Neumann scored again with just over 12 minutes to play before Murray answered with another goal off a free-position with 10:55 to play to make the score 13-10. With 9:50 to play in regulation, Klitchko scored her seventh goal of the contest, which trimmed the deficit to just two once again making the score 13-11 with just under 10 minutes to play.
 
Neumann added another goal with 7:54 to play in regulation to restore a three-goal (14-11) advantage over the Macs. Hankin scored another goal for the Macs with 1:18 to play to trim the deficit back to just two making the score 14-12 in the closing moments of regulation. This late tally proved to be the final marker of the game for either side as Neumann withstood the Macs late surge to hold on for the 14-12 victory on Wednesday evening.
 
Klitchko ended her day as the leading scorer with a game-best seven points on six goals and one assist in the setback. Defensively, Kriebel and Molly Gallagher led the way as Kriebel ended the contest with a team-high seven ground balls while Gallagher led the team in caused turnovers with five. In goal, Katie Mulvey battled throughout the afternoon making a pair of saves in the loss.
 
As a team, Immaculata ended the game with a slim 28-23 edge in shots including a 20-16 edge in shots on goal in the setback. Neumann ended the contest with a commanding 20-8 edge in draw controls while also converting 14 of its 18 clearing attempts while holding Immaculata to a 20-of-28 performance on clears.
 
Immaculata will be back in action on Wednesday, April 7 at home against Marywood in its final home game of the 2021 regular season.