Rough Knight
Gannon hands NDC first loss since Feb.
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ERIE, Penn. – The Falcons' nine-game win streak ran smack into the NCAA-II ninth-ranked Gannon Lady Knights Friday night in Erie, Penn. Gannon, working on a winning streak of their own, topped the Falcons, 23-15. The loss for NDC is their first since starting the season 0-3; the Falcons last lost on Feb. 28 (9-8 to St. John Fisher-NY).

The first half of the game turned out to be pivotal - the Ladyn Knights outscored the Falcons, 14-7. From 6:12 of the first to 29:05 of the second, Gannon scored eight unanswered goals.

For the game, Gena McPherson (So/Brampton, ONT) paced Notre Dame (9-4) with eight goals.

The ranked Gannon squad got on the board first, with two goals in the first minute after the opening draw. The Falcons battled back to tie the score, 2-2, after goals by McPherson and Sarah Hutchinson (So/Powell, OH).

Gannon then scored four of the next five goals to put NDC in a 6-3 hole by the 15-minute mark. At that point, the Blue & Gold mustered their best effort of the season and clawed their way back to a 7-7 tie by 7:02. Solid stick skills and gritty play at both ends of the field highlighted the Falcons' first half surge in what Head Coach Candace Taglianetti described as "the most intensity and spirit we've shown all season."

The deep and talented Lady Knight squad, however, was equally ready for the task at hand. Over the next eight minutes of play (seven in the first half, one in the second), GU out-gunned NDC, 8-0.

Even after a three-goal run midway through the second, the closest the Falcons could get was five, when they trailed 17-12 at 8:46.

"That's a good team," Taglianetti said of the Lady Knights. "They do a lot of things well. On our side, I'm proud of the way our girls battled and supported each other."

Offensively, NDC was led by McPherson's eight netfinders; that ties a Notre Dame single-game record for goals. Ashley Rutz (Fr/Milton, ONT) flipped in three. Jenna Schuerman (Jr/Savage, MN) added a goal and three helpers. Friday's game marked just the third time this season that Gannon has yielded 15 goals.

Goalkeeper Kylie Flett (Sr/Adelaide, Australia) was peppered with 39 shots. She made seven saves.

NDC's 23 goals allowed is a new program-worst. The Falcons' game play, however, represents a marked improvement over their last effort against GU - the Falcons lost to the Lady Knights, 19-2, in their only other meeting (Apr. 6, 2005).

Gannon was led by junior Colleen Dixon (Lafayette, NY) and sophomore Taryn Millerd (Shortsville, NY) - they each found the back of the net half a dozen times. For the game, GU outshot NDC, 39-20.

With the win, the No. 9 Lady Knights move to 9-3 on the season. They have now won three in a row.

Notre Dame will play their next game at home. They're scheduled for a 7 p.m. tilt at Korb Field Tuesday, Apr. 22 against Seton Hill (PA).

NOTES FROM THE NEST...

NINE LIVES: NDC's nine-game winning streak in 2008 is the program's second-longest - the Falcons rattled off 10 straight in 2007 (from March 12 to Apr. 14). ... In the nine-game streak, NDC outscored their opponents, 123-47. ... The loss is just NDC's second road loss of the season; the Falcons dropped an 11-10 decision in the season opener at Rolllins-FL (Feb. 25). The Falcons are now 4-2 on the road this season and are 10-3 over their last 13 away from home.

GOAL, WITH A 'G': Gena McPherson's night (eight goals) runs her season total to 45 goals. That tops her freshman season total (42) by one and is a new NDC single-season mark. ... The Falcon midfielder tallied three of the Falcons' four goals in their 4-1 run midway through the first period.