CENTER VALLEY, PA (April 17, 2019) – The King's College women's lacrosse team traveled to DeSales University for a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) contest, suffering a heartbreaking 14-13 loss Wednesday afternoon in action from the DeSales Turf Field.

The Monarchs (6-10, 3-2 MAC Freedom) fell behind 2-0 in the early going, but rallied with four straight goals to make it 4-2 King's thanks to a pair of tallies from freshman Jen O'Connor while sophomores Mary Kate Klodarska and Emma Lehman each scored during the spurt.

DeSales tied the game at four with 12 minutes to play, but freshman Emily Sims tallied with help from O'Connor to put the Monarchs up 5-4. Senior Katy Higinbothom scored her first of the day at 10:09 of the first half, but the Bulldogs answered with four consecutive goals to take an 8-6 lead. Just before halftime though, Klodarska would post her 25th goal of the year to send the game to halftime.

During the opening half, Jen O'Connor posted her 100th draw control of the season, becoming just the third player ever to have 100 draw controls in a single season. The Bulldogs would push their lead to three at 10-7, but King's responded to make it 10-9 after Lehman scored on a free position shot with 19:22 to go.

The hosts would push their lead back up to three with 16:31 to play after a pair of Karlie Deeck goals, but O'Connor and Higinbothom answered with tallies for King's to make it a one-goal game once again at 12-11. DeSales answered with another two-goal spurt before Lehman netted her fourth of the day to bring King's to within two at 14-12 with 7:37 to play.

Just under four minutes later, junior captain Kelly Pierce earned possession in her own zone, cleared the ball herself and scored her third goal of the season to bring the Monarchs to within one at 14-13. Shortly after the goal by Pierce, King's was given a yellow card, but sophomore goalkeeper Orla Cottell made a key save to keep the Monarch deficit at one.

King's had the ball twice but turnovers on both possessions late in the game gave the ball back to the Bulldogs with 1:23 to go in regulation. DSU would get a free position attempt with 23 seconds to go and Cottell made another big save but the time would run out on the Monarchs as DeSales earned the conference win.

Cottell was strong in the second half for the Monarchs, as she finished with 12 saves including eight in the second half. Lehman finished with four goals, the second-straight game with four goals while her streak of scoring two or more goals was extended to seven games. Lehman also scored on each of her two free position shots on the night.

O'Connor tallied three goals and added an assist, as she tied for the team lead with seven shots, while adding two caused turnovers and five draw controls. Higinbothom tallied two goals and an assist for King's, while Klodarska upped her goal total to 25 with two more Wednesday. Klodarska has posted two goals in each of her last five games.

Defensively, Pierce had another strong game for the Monarchs, posting four ground balls, two caused turnovers and two draw controls. Junior defender Mia Dardanelli finished with three ground balls, and Sims finished with two ground balls, two draw controls and a goal.

Julia Astram posted four goals and two assists for DeSales (8-6, 3-2 MAC Freedom).

King's has a week off before taking on Misericordia University April 24 at 7 p.m. in MAC Freedom action in McCarthy Stadium.