SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame opened its home season falling to Seaton Hill (Pa.), 16-11 on Wednesday evening at Korb Field. (Box)
 
The Falcons fell behind by as many as eight goals in the first and second half before scoring four of the final five goals in a losing effort to a Griffins team that failed to score 18 or more goals for the second time in the last four games.
 
“We're getting their slowly but surely,” head coach Torrey McGowan said. “This game was another step in the right direction and I am really proud of how we battled back in the second half.”
 
Notre Dame (2-6) took an early 1-0 lead on Kristen Hull's 22^nd goal of the season 1:42 into the contest.
 
Seton Hill (7-1) responded when Renee Kania scored less than two minutes later, knotting the score at ones.
 
Jill Dixon scored 28 seconds later as Notre Dame regained the lead, but back-to-back goals by Emma Simmers in less than 90 seconds gave SHU its first lead, 3-2, with 23:52 remaining.
 
Dixon scored her second of three first half goals over four minutes later to draw the teams level for the third time with 19:45 on the clock.
 
Morgan Cain and Emily Fagan each scored back-to-back goals as SHU took a commanding 12-4 lead with 32 seconds remaining.
 
Notre Dame cut the lead to seven when Madalyn Dewling scored an unassisted goal just before the horn sounded giving Seton Hill a 12-5 edge at the break.
 
The Griffins outshot the Falcons 20-8 in the opening period. Both teams turned over the ball 12 times, while Seton Hill held a slight 6-5 advantage in ground balls through the opening 30 minutes.
 
Seton Hill opened the second half with back-to-back goals as Emily Fagan's third goal with 23:00 remaining gave the Griffins a 14-5 advantage.
 
Madalyn Dewling and Allison Merten responded for Notre Dame as the Falcons got within seven (14-7) with 17:14 left in regulation.
 
Fagan scored her fourth with five and a half gone in the second to extend the Griffin's lead to 15-7.
 
Kristen Hull added a man-advantage goal before Dewling scored her 16^th of the season with 10:13 left on an assist from Hull to bring Notre Dame within six (15-9).
 
Emily Fagan's fifth of the game on a man-advantage with 5:49 extended Seton Hill's lead to 16-9.
 
Hull would score her third of the game – 24^th of the season, with just under five minutes to play before Dixon scored her fourth over two minutes later as Notre Dame came within five (16-11).
 
Notre Dame continued to press looking for the five goals needed to extend the game to overtime, but neither team could find the back of the net as the Griffins improved their record to 4-3 against an NDC squad that fell to 5-3 in home openers.
 
“We just ran out of time on the clock and at the end of the day our hats are off to Seton Hill,” McGowan said.
 
The loss marked an unusual home defeat for the Falcons at home. Since 2007 the friendly confines of Korb Field have provided a significant advantage to the NDC women's lacrosse team. The Blue & White had won 90 percent (27-3) at Korb in the previous five seasons.
 
The Seton Hill outshot Notre Dame 32-22 in regulation. The Falcons turned the ball over 22 times, 14 forced, while SHU committed 23 turnovers, with 11 forced.
 
Audi King collected a game-high four ground balls and forced a game-high five turnovers.
 
Kelsey Harvey and Amanda Matusik split time in between the pipes for the Blue & White. Harvey surrendered 12 goals in the while making three saves in the opening 30 minutes as she falls to 1-4 on the season. Matusik allowed just four goals while making four saves down the stretch.
 
 
Notre Dame returns to action on Saturday when the Falcons host the Blue Knights of Urbana University, 2 p.m. at Korb Field.