ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College lacrosse team dropped its season opener to Eastern Mennonite University, 15-2, at the FalconPlex on Sunday afternoon.

The Royals jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first quarter and added three more in the second to carry a 9-0 score into the half.

Eastern Mennonite tacked on a pair to open third stanza and then the Falcons got on the board with a goal from senior Maddie Graham (Clayton, Del./Smyrna) with 9:42 remaining to make the score 11-1.

The Royals responded with four straight markers to stretch its lead to 15-1. Cedar Crest netted the final goal of the game when Graham found the back of the net with 3:16 left in regulation for the 15-2 final.

Senior Cristal Narciso (Val Verde, Calif.) made eight saves in the win for Eastern Mennonite. Sophomore Irelyn Yoder (Wilmington, Del./Concord) converted five saves in the loss.

The Falcons took 19 shots in the contest, compared to 28 for the Royals. Graham had a team-high six, junior Ellie Terranova (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) and senior Abi Sipel (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) each had four, senior Lauren Jackson (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) recorded two, while junior Kylah Demarest (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township), junior Adriana Dias (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic), and sophomore Kadee Schrader (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) had one apiece.

Cedar Crest recorded 19 ground balls in the game. Sipel picked up four. Terranova, Jackson, and senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) registered three each. Senior Ashley Large (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit) tallied two, while Graham, Schrader, sophomore Carly Piciullo (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial), and Yoder had one apiece.

The Falcons recorded nine caused turnovers. Sipel had three while Terranova, Bilger, Large, Graham, Schrader, and senior Brynn Rifino (Dover, Del./Smyrna) finished with one each.

Cedar Crest also collected five draw controls. Demarest had a team-high four and Bilger had one.

Senior Courtney Crawford (Washington, D.C.) tallied a game-high six points on two goals and four assists for the Royals.

Cedar Crest (0-1 overall) returns to action on Tuesday, March 11 at Mount Aloysius College at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Mennonite (2-4 overall) will next host Randolph-Macon College on Saturday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m.