WAYNESBURG, Pa. – Franciscan women's lacrosse scored the highest goal total in program history, losing 23-18 in a blisteringly paced game against Waynesburg University.

The offensive explosion came just four days after the team's first win of the season, and despite losing, head coach Maura Conant said her girls played a game they should be proud of.

"They played their hearts out, these kids played so hard," Conanat said. "They truly played a full sixty minutes."

With neither team able to stop the other, the game became about possessions and saves. The Lady Barons fared well in the first area winning 20 of 39 draw controls and turning the ball over four fewer times than the Yellow Jackets.

The saves area was more difficult with defender Catherine Cahill starting in goal for the third time this season with the team's usual starter unable to play. While Cahill battled throughout, the Yellow Jackets converted on a high percentage of their shots, particularly off of easy transition scoring chances.

"I cannot say enough about Cahill and what she's doing. It's such a stressful position to put her in and we weren't really stopping the ball on fast breaks," Conant said.

While transitions were a struggle defensively for Franciscan, on offense they were a blessing. Conant said her team did a good job of staying wide and also picking up free position shots.

No one did better in transition than junior attacker Tracy McClelland who racked up a team high of eight goals off of 15 shots. McClelland was also the second leading scorer in the team's win over Wilmington, the second highest scoring game in program history.

"She was really getting the ball well on the fast breaks and with her being a lefty with speed she's going to be able to take and convert on a lot of those shots," Conant said.

Helping the Lady Barons get the ball move to players like McClelland was junior Lauren Noce who stuffed her stat sheet. The middie led the team with eight draw controls, finished tied for tops on the team in ground balls and caused turnovers with three apiece, and tied for second in goals with three. 

Noce and McClelland are headlining an FUS offense that has scored over 15 goals in two of their last three games.

"We know that if we get possession of the ball our attack can do something with it," Conant said. "Its now about maintaining possession and keeping the other team from having the ball."

The Lady Barons and their budding offense will get a slight rest after playing three games in six days before traveling to the College of Wooster to take on the Fighting Scots on March 28 at 1 pm.