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Towson, MD -- The Monmouth University lacrosse team fell to #20 Towson University, 15-5 in a 2012 NCAA Play-In Game on Saturday night at Doc Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tigers, 16-3 overall, will find out who their NCAA First Round opponent will be tomorrow at 9 p.m. in the NCAA Tournament selection show.
Monmouth was led in the match by Kaleigh Gibbons (Candia, N.H. /Manchester Central), who scored a pair of goals and logged an assist. Freshman keeper Katie Donohoe (Peterborough, Ontario/Holy Cross Catholic Secondary) made 11 saves in the match for the Hawks.
Trailing 12-3 after the break, the Hawks showed constant hustle, forcing a number of early turnovers and scoring the first goal of the half, as Gibbons scored off of an assist from Gianna D'Urso (Fairfield, N.J. /West Essex) at the 24:07 mark. Towson answered with a pair of tallies to increase its lead to 14-4 before Sam Lillo (Short Hills, N.J. /Millburn) recorded MU's final marker in the match with 12:50 left.
Towson took a commanding 5-0 lead eight minutes into the game but the Hawks cut that lead to 5-2, scoring a pair of goals within 28 seconds of each other. The Hawks got on the board first when Gibbons ripped a shot that bounced off a Towson defender and went in the goal at the 18:48 mark. Twenty eight seconds later senior Lynn White (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) beat TU keeper Mary Teeters off an assist from Alex Marino (Howell, N.J. /Freehold Township) to cut the Tigers' lead to 5-2.
MU's Danielle Rakowitz (Montville, N.J. /Montville) broke a six-goal Towson scoring streak with a tally with 33 seconds left in the first half for the Hawks.
Despite outshooting Towson in the second half, 18-13, MU was outshot in the contest, 32-27. Towson controlled 22 ground balls compared to 18 for MU, while the hosts controlled 14 of the 22 draw controls in the match. TU converted two of its four free position shots, while the Hawks went 0-7 in their opportunities.
Ashleigh Rohrback had three goals and two assists for the Colonial Athletic Association Champions, while Andy Raymond had two goals and four assists. Olivia Turner recorded three goals, while Ashley Waldron, Kelly Custer and Kelly Murkey each added a pair of tallies.
Monmouth, which captured its fourth Northeast Conference Championship in 2012, finished the season with a 9-11 record.