CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Neumann University women's lacrosse team got its 2020 season underway on Monday afternoon in Florida, dropping a 16-9 result in non-conference action to Otterbein University.
 
Catriona Corrigan was outstanding in goal in the loss, making 20 saves on the afternoon. Brylin Adams paced the offense with four goals, while Keri Mallon chipped in with two tallies.
 
The Knights came out ready to play from the get go, taking an early lead via goals from Reilly Fiedler and Mallon to take a 2-0 advantage at the 21:40 mark. Otterbein fought back with a pair of goals of their own to level the contest, but Adams put Neumann back in front with a free position goal at 16:25 to make it 3-2. The back and forth half continued though, as the Cardinals struck twice in a row to take their first lead of the game at 4-3 with fourteen minutes left in the frame. Despite trailing late in the period, the Knights would have the last laugh. Through some excellent saves from Corrigan late in the half, Mellon's second goal of the game and freshman Abby Klassman's first career goal, Neumann took a 5-4 lead into the halftime break.
 
Unfortunately for the Knights, they could not keep their positive play rolling into the second stanza. The Cardinals found the back of the net four unanswered times to open the final frame to take a three-goal lead at 8-5 with 21:11 left to play. Neumann would not quit though, fighting back with two more free position goals from Carlee Herrin and Adams to bring the score-line back to 8-7. That would be as close as the Knights would get the rest of the way though, as another 4-0 run for Otterbein midway through the frame made it 12-7. Adams tallied two more times in the final ten minutes of play for Neumann, but it was too little, too late for the Knights as Otterbein took home the 16-9 victory.
 
Neumann (0-1) will play one more game in Florida on Wednesday, March 4th versus John Carroll University. Game-time is scheduled for 10:00 AM.