The Sacred Heart University women's lacrosse team opened Northeast Conference play with an 11-10 loss at LIU Brooklyn on Friday afternoon in a game that saw six ties and two lead changes.  The Pioneers fall to 4-6 overall and 0-1 in league play, while the Blackbirds improve to 5-5 on the season and 1-0 in conference action.

Tori Shinkowitz broke the final tie of the game with a free position goal with 13 seconds left, to give LIU Brooklyn the 11-10 lead. The Blackbirds won the ensuing draw control to seal the victory.

LIU Brooklyn got off to a 2-0 edge, before Caitlin Delaney put the Pioneers on the board at the 26:05 mark.  Delaney sandwiched a Jesslyn Joseph goal to give SHU the lead. 3-2, 8:30 into the contest. Carly Weiss tied the game at the 18:00 minute mark, before the Pioneer run continued, with back-to-back goals from Delaney, giving SHU a 5-3 edge with 14:27 to play before intermission.  The Blackbirds tallied three goals in the final 13:34, including a Brittany Radar goal with :01 left to tie the score, 6-6 at the break.

The teams traded goals over the first 6:31 of the second-half, with Delaney (24:10) and Kylie Calandra (23:39) answering Blackbird scores to keep the game tied, 7-7 and 8-8.  The score remain knotted until the 12:10 mark when Weiss found the back of the net.  Shinkowitz followed 23 seconds later to put LIU in front 10-8. Calandra began a SHU rally 1:50 later, with her second of the game and 50 seconds later Joseph knotted the score, 10-10.

Delaney led the Pioneers with a game-high five goals in the contest, as well as three ground balls and a caused turnover.  Joseph recorded a hat trick and a draw control, while Calandra had two goals and an assist.  Averi Farhat also had three ground balls and an assist for the Pioneers.

Both teams finished the game with 11 draw controls, finishing even in each half.  LIU finished with a 12-11 edge in ground balls, with no Blackbird recording more than two in the game.

Five different Blackbirds scored twice in the game, with Jenn Peters finishing with three points to lead the effort.  Alexis Maldonado made 10 saves in the win for LIU, while Kelly Keenan made six for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers return to action, and Campus Field, on Friday, April 10 when they host NEC foe Bryant University at 3 p.m.  It is the first of two home games next weekend, with SHU hosting Central Connecticut on Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m.