ST. LOUIS – In a battle of offenses that went goal for goal all day, Missouri Baptist women's lacrosse dropped a close one 12-11 to Division II Quincy University on Saturday afternoon.
 
Missouri Baptist (3-2 overall), who recently moved up in the NAIA Coaches poll to the 8 spot, were looking for revenge from last season in what was another close game where the Hawks tamed the Spartans and gave them their first loss of the 2020-21 season. MBU were a solid match with Quincy across the board, with both sides looking like they could win the game throughout the contest.
 
The early going was slow for scoring, with both teams feeling the other out to some degree. The home side would awaken the scoring with junior Kamryn Bell's first goal five minutes in. Jordan Haeusser would net another, which was answered by leading Hawks point-getter Patricia Chavira, before a burst of goals over the last 90 seconds of the period. Haeusser's second was met by two more from Quincy to end the first 3-3.
 
MBU would go to the locker rooms at half tied again at 7-7, but would need to battle back from its largest deficit to do so. The visitors continued their late first quarter onslaught by scoring three-straight. The Spartans would battle back and score three of their own behind Bell, Chayleb Deves (three goals) and Ashley Avery goals to tie things up again. Deves would give the Spartans a brief lead before another score from the Hawks' Chavira.
 
The remaining half hour after the halftime break was a game of one team scoring a go-ahead score, the other would get an equalizer. Sophomore Caroline Karr left her mark in the third quarter with a goal and one of her two assists. The Spartans failed to get one last equalizer after Quincy's 12th score and game winner with 2:56 remaining, but the fight was evident all day from coach Max Ruhl's team, despite the close defeat.
 
Other notable performances for Mobap included goalkeeper Amelia Shaw, who had a season high eight saves with five alone coming in the third quarter, and Lydia Cornett and Gianna D'Alto, who chipped in a goal each, respectively.
 
Missouri Baptist will try again to open conference play in the KCAC after Thursday's scheduled game with University of St. Mary (Kan.) was postponed because of weather. The Spartans will travel to take on Clarke University on Thursday, March 17th at 4:00 PM.