HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – The Cedar Crest College lacrosse team was dealt a 12-7 setback at Centenary University in a non-league tilt on Saturday afternoon at J.E. Reeves Jr. Field.

The Falcons got out to a 2-0 lead after goals from junior Kylah Demarest (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township) and sophomore Kadee Schrader (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area). First-year Lizzy DeNunzio (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) set up Demarest for the first tally 1:04 into the game and then senior Maddie Graham (Clayton, Del./Smyrna) found Schrader for a marker at the 6:48 mark to put Cedar Crest up 2-0. Junior Nora Dornich (Belvidere, N.J.) and sophomore Dyani Alonso (Budd Lake, N.J.) registered the goals for the Cyclones to knot the score at 2-2 heading into the second quarter.

The Falcons opened the scoring in the second stanza as senior Brynn Rifino (Dover, Del./Smyrna) found the back of the net with 9:27 left on the clock to give Cedar Crest a 3-2 advantage. Centenary finished the frame on a 4-0 run to build a 6-3 lead at the intermission.

The Cyclones tacked on a pair of tallies to begin the third quarter as first-year Lauren Helder (Mount Olive, N.J.) and senior Chloe Neubauer (Hackettstown, N.J.) each netted goals to extend the margin to 8-3. Graham halted the Centenary run with a marker with 4:51 remaining to make the score 8-4. The goal was assisted by Demarest. The home team deposited two more before the end of the quarter, both from the stick of junior Trista Hough (Branchville, N.J.) to push the score to 10-4.

Cedar Crest then outscored 3-2 in the fourth, but the Cyclones were able to hang on for the win. Schrader scored for the Falcons off an assist from Graham with 12:52 on the clock to start things. Dornich followed with an unassisted goal for Centenary. Graham recorded her second goal of the contest with 4:31 to play. Alonso collected the final goal for the Cyclones and then Rifino closed out the scoring with a goal coming off an assist from Schrader.

First-year Autumn Thame-Knox (Voorhees, N.J.) recorded nine saves in the victory for Centenary. Sophomore Irelyn Yoder (Wilmington, Del./Concord) had a career-high 20 saves in goal for the Falcons.

Alonso led the Cyclones with four points on four goals.

The Falcons collected 22 shots in the contest. First-year Angelina Plut (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren Regional) had a team-high seven, Schrader followed with four, junior Ellie Terranova (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) and Rifino each recorded three, Demarest tallied two, while DeNunzio, senior Ashley Large (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit), and sophomore Jessica Shults (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp) recorded one apiece.

Cedar Crest picked up 32 ground balls. Senior Abi Sipel (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) led the way with seven. Terranova and senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) followed with five each. Demarest and DeNunzio chipped in three apiece. Graham, Rifino, and Large tallied two each, while Schrader, Plut, and sophomore Carly Piciullo (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) scooped up one each.

The Falcons also had 15 caused turnovers. Sipel paced the team with four, Bilger had three, Demarest and Plut recorded two each, while Terranova, DeNunzio, Rifino, and Large closed the category with one apiece.

Cedar Crest registered nine draw controls in the game. Demarest had a team-high three while Sipel, Terranova, and Graham rounded out the category with two each.

Cedar Crest (0-2 overall) next hosts Trinity Washington University on Tuesday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m. Centenary (3-0 overall) concludes a three-game homestand when it plays SUNY Old Westbury on Wednesday, March 19 at 3:00 p.m.