The #7 nationally-ranked Misericordia University women's soccer team scored three straight goals to down the University of Scranton, 3-2, Wednesday night at Mangelsdorf Field.

Caelan Gallagher, Alyssa Steenback and Olivia Maniskas all scored for the Cougars, who improved to 7-1.

Esabella Mendola gave the Cougars the first chance of the match when she received a ball over the top of the Scranton defense, dribbled to the top of box and struck a low shot that was denied on a diving save by the Royals keeper at 9:19.

Scranton countered with three consecutive shots from point-blank range and buried the second rebound to take a 1-0 lead at 15:11.

The Cougars threatened two minutes later when Larissa Evans' strike from distance floated just over the crossbar at 17:36.

Olivia Maniskas ripped a shot from 30 yards out that was denied midway through the first half and Haleigh Wintersteen's header was just wide of the left post a minute later.

The Cougars pulled even when Ella Cipriani threaded a pass through the defense to Gallagher, who carried into the left side of the box and slotted a shot across the goal inside the right post at 43:52.

MU applied pressure early in the second and the aggressive play paid off when Steenback won the middle of the box and chipped a shot under the crossbar from 10 yards out for a 2-1 lead at 46:13.

Misericordia added a critical insurance goal in the 74^th minute when Brenna Field played a ball over the top to Maniskas whose first shot from point-blank range was stopped. She buried her own rebound to make it 3-1 at 73:01.

Scranton pulled within a goal at 79:39, but the MU defense stiffened over the final 10 minutes to secure the win.

The Cougars will host #15 Rochester for Homecoming in a battle of nationally-ranked teams, Saturday.