GRANTHAM, Pa. -- Stevenson women's lacrosse got off to a strong start, but could not regain its footing after a big second quarter from 14th-ranked Messiah, falling 15-9 on Wednesday afternoon. 

In a matchup between two of the top teams in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth, both sides entered the contest with six consecutive victories.

Stevenson (8-5, 3-1) got off to a quick start before host Messiah (10-3, 4-0) used decisive second and fourth quarters to pull away. Caroline Murphy paced the Mustangs with three goals and one assist, while McKenna Blick, Kara Yarusso and Kaitlyn Kozlowski added a pair of goals apiece. 

Sophie Shucosky was strong in goal with 12 saves, including some timely stops that kept the door open for the Mustangs to battle back. Messiah was able to convert its 39-26 shot advantage after settling in. 

Stevenson used some precision passing to build a 3-2 lead at the end of the opening quarter. After forcing a turnover, Murphy converted on a free-position for the opening tally of the afternoon at the 12:55 mark. Messiah responded with the equalizer at 10:15 before the Mustangs converted on their overwhelming advantage in possession. 

Yarusso and Blick pushed Stevenson ahead 3-1 until Messiah trimmed its deficit to one closing out the first. The Falcons continued the momentum into the second, posting a decisive 5-2 scoring edge to pull ahead. 

Emma Lytle extended the Falcon lead to 6-4 at 6:26 in the second before Murphy notched a timely marker for the Mustangs, slicing the deficit to 6-5. Messiah scored a crucial goal with just nine seconds left in the opening half and Stevenson was unable to get back to within even throughout the second half. 

The Mustangs opened the second half with a much-needed goal from Murphy, her 39th of the season, at 11:13 in the third. The Falcons countered once again with consecutive goals before Kozlowski brought the deficit back to 9-7. 

Messiah opened the fourth with three of the first four goals, building a 12-8 advantage. Blick accounted for the final Stevenson goal of the night with 4:36 left as Messiah closed out the game with the final three markers. 

Rachel Delate finished with six goals and an assist for the Falcons as Lytle added four of her own. 

NEWS AND NOTES 

• Each side entered the week with six-game winning streaks. 
• Kirsten Foster and Kozlowski scooped up a pair of ground balls each for Stevenson. Messiah held a big edge on the ground in the contest, posting a 23-11 advantage in ground balls. 
• Wednesday marked a rematch of last season's conference semifinal contest. 
• Stevenson held a 12-7 edge in shots after the opening quarter, while Messiah outshot the Mustangs 32-14 the rest of the way. 
• Kozlowski continues her impressive stretch at the draw control, grabbing nine more on Wednesday. 
• Messiah has earned three consecutive wins in the series against Stevenson. 

UP NEXT 

• Stevenson: The Mustangs return to road action on Wednesday, April 20 at Lebanon Valley. 
• Messiah: The Falcons continue a tough stretch in MAC Commonwealth play, hosting York (Pa.) on Wednesday, April 20.