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Staten Island, NY – Facing an 11-5 late second-half deficit, the Wagner women's lacrosse team staged a furious rally, outscoring Iona 5-0 during a span of 6:58, but the comeback bid came up just short as the Gaels managed to hang on for an 11-10 victory at chilly and breezy Hameline Field this afternoon.

This marks the fourth consecutive one-goal loss for the Seahawks, who fall to 2-6 on the season, as Wagner's six losses have now come by a combined 10 goals, a differential of just 1.67 goals per game.

With the victory, the Gaels, who compete in the MAAC, improve their record to 4-4.

Junior midfielder and 2014 Northeast Conference (NEC) Defensive Player of the Year Shea Gegan (Belmar, NJ/Manasquan) tossed in four goals and assisted on another to lead the way for the Seahawks. Gegan, who entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in caused turnover per game (3.71), and No. 3 nationally in ground balls per game (3.57), added two ground balls and two caused turnovers, along with one draw control, vs. the Gaels.

Freshman attack Heidi Colford (Eden Prairie, MN/Eden Praire) provided Wagner with a huge offensive spark down the stretch, recording the first three points of her young career, on two goals and one assist, all coming during the Seahawks' well-executed 5-0 late second-half run.

Junior attack Stephanie Peterson (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township) also supplied two goals for the Seahawks while junior attack Taylor Pastore (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) and junior midfielder Gretchen Fay (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) added one goal apiece. In addition to her goal, Fay's impact was felt in a host of other areas as well, as she recorded seven ground balls and five caused turnovers, both of which were team highs.

After Mary Kate McCormick deposited her fourth goal of the game with 11:17 remaining, Iona enjoyed an 11-6 lead and appeared to be on the verge of coasting to victory. With 8:15 to go, however, the 6'0" Colford rattled the cage from in close after receiving a feed from Gegan, which made it an 11-6 game and served to ignite Wagner's closing run. Things become even more interesting after Fay fired home a free-position shot at the 7:25 mark, bringing the Seahawks to within four goals at 11-7. Colford then got into the act again, hitting Gegan in stride with a pass that the 5-10 junior turned into her third goal of the game, with 4:36 left, making it 11-8.

With the momentum having clearly shifted in Wagner's direction, Colford struck again, sinking an unassisted goal with 3:00 left to play that brought the Seahawks to within two goals at 11-9. Less than two minutes later, with just 1:17 to go, Gegan shook herself free for an unassisted score, her fourth of the game, which made it a one-goal game at 11-10.

Iona was able to win the ensuing draw control, however, and effectively played keep away the rest of the way in eking out the one-goal win.

After falling behind 2-0 at the outset, the Green & White, who never led in the game, received back-to-back goals from the junior attack combination of Pastore and Peterson, the latter coming off an assist by sophomore attacker Olivia Streilein (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape), that tied the game at 2-2 midway through the first half. An Erin Pugh goal at 12:09 made it 3-2, which is the way the score remained until Meghan Testoni struck for consecutive unassisted goals in a span of 48 seconds, at 4:54 and 4:06, respectively, as the Gaels went in front by a 5-2 count.

The Seahawks then struck for two quick goals of their own, the first on a free-position shot by Gegan with 33 seconds left in the half, and the next an unassisted goal by Peterson, with just nine seconds before intermission, that made it a 5-4 game.

Wagner then won the ensuing draw control and nearly scored a third straight goal but the potential game-tying goal came one second after the first-half horn sounded, as Iona held on for the 5-4 halftime lead.

The Gaels then opened the second half on a 5-1 run in building what appeared to be a commanding 11-5 edge before Wagner staged its game-ending 5-0 run.

Statistically, this game was as close as the final score would indicate as Wagner held a slim edge in shots (34-28) and ground balls (24-20), while Iona held a 13-10 advantage in draw controls. The Seahawks were 2-of-9 on free-position shot while the Gaels were 0-of-4.

McCormick's five points (4G, 1A) led the way for Iona while Pugh (3G) and Casey Palmer (4A) were also effective on the offensive end. In goal, Blaire Nathanson was credited with 11 saves while Wagner junior goalie Katie Ferraro (Owings Mill, MD/McDonogh) came up with 12.

The Seahawks are next in action on Friday, March 27 when they travel to Morningside Heights to meet the Columbia University Lions of the Ivy League with first-draw set for 6:00 p.m.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagnerWlax for information specific to the Seahawk women's lacrosse team.