HICKORY, N.C. – After suffering an 18-4 blowout loss at the hands of Saint Leo in 2019, the Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Lacrosse Team nearly pulled off the upset of the No. 23 Lions in 2020 but fell by a final score of 16-15 on Friday afternoon. The Bears had the ball with a chance to tie late but came up empty as the final horn sounded.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Saint Leo 16, Lenoir-Rhyne 15
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (1-1), Saint Leo (1-1)
Location: Hickory, N.C. | Moretz Stadium

STATS OF THE GAME:
• Gia Colombo was the standout for the Bears, leading LR with four goals scored and six draw controls. Colombo added three caused turnovers to her stat line. 
• A game after scoring eight goals on eight shots, redshirt junior Alyssa Sack netted a hat trick to give her 11 goals on the young season. Michelle Tang and Jillian Seker each scored a pair of goals for the Bears. 
• Delaney Chrisco paced the visitors with a four-goal performance, including a pair after the Bears tied it up at 12 apiece late in the second half. 
• The LR defense held tight in the second half. After allowing a goal at the 23-minute mark, the Bears kept the high-powered Lions off the scoreboard for the next 11:15 of game time. 
• LR held a 30-28 advantage in shots and each team turned the ball over 22 times. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• The Bears are now 46-40 all-time in games played at Moretz Stadium.
• LR is now 4-3 all-time against Saint Leo with the last victory coming in 2013. The Lions have won three straight in the series.  
• The Bears narrowly missed their third win all-time against a ranked program.  
• LR is now 15-17 all-time in the month of February. 

UP NEXT:  The Bears will continue their six-game homestand to open the 2020 campaign when No. 6 Tampa comes to Hickory next Saturday at 1 p.m.