The Misericordia University women's lacrosse team dropped a tough 12-9 decision at Arcadia, Wednesday night.
 
Alicia Pileggi led the Cougars with three goals while Adison Harner and Gianna Guensch recorded three points apiece (2g, 1a).
 
Misericordia fell behind early as Arcadia took a 1-0 lead just 30 seconds into the game.
 
The Cougars defense quickly settled in, however, as Ryann Gross held the Knights scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, making five saves over the next 14 minutes.
 
The Cougars found their rhythm in the second quarter. Just a minute in, Harner found Pileggi cutting across the middle where she finished to tie the game, 1-1.
 
Trailing 2-1, Delaney Campanella had her shot saved, but Harner quickly scooped up the ground ball and fired it past the goalie to even the score again with nearly 12 minutes left in the half.
 
Misericordia continued its offensive surge as Guensch caught the ball in the middle of the defense, turned quickly, and buried her shot to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead.
 
Trailing 4-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Harner controlled the ball on the right side of the crease, faked outside, then cut back in and scored to tie the game once more.
 
Less than two minutes later, Pileggi capitalized on a cut down the middle, using a quick shot fake before finishing to give Misericordia a 5-4 advantage.
 
Arcadia responded with under a minute remaining in the half, sending the teams into halftime tied at 5-5.
 
The Knights struck early in the third quarter, scoring within the first three minutes.
 
Misericordia answered on a fastbreak after a forced turnover as Guensch drove down the middle and dished to Campanella cutting from the left for a quick goal, making it 6-6 with eight minutes left in the quarter.
 
Guensch added a free-position goal later in the period, but the Cougars trailed 8-7 heading into the fourth.
 
Misericordia applied immediate pressure to start the final quarter, forcing a turnover when Arcadia's goalie left the crease for a ground ball.
 
Kristen Travaglini capitalized, finishing into an open net to tie the game at 8-8 just a minute in.
 
After Arcadia scored back-to-back goals, Pileggi converted on a free-position opportunity to cut the deficit to 10-9 with just under six minutes remaining.
 
The Knights scored twice in the final 5:01 to secure the win.