BOX SCORE WEST HAVEN, Conn. - The University of New Haven women's lacrosse team, nationally ranked No. 7, dropped its first game of the 2012 season Saturday afternoon to No. 6 Stonehill College, 12-13. The Chargers fell to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference with the loss. The Skyhawks improved to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play.

The back-and-forth game at Kayo Field played to a 4-4 tie through the first 20 minutes Saturday. Alexis Gabbe (Malverne, N.Y./Malverne) scored her third goal of the game with 9:02 left in the first half to give the Chargers a 5-4 lead. Stonehill then rallied with three unanswered goals to take a 7-5 lead with just under four minutes left in the half. Natalie Lieberman (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor) scored a pair of goals in the final three minutes to even the score at 7-7 going into halftime.

Stonehill scored the first goal of the second half and held the lead for a majority of the period. Lieberman scored her third with 21:55 on the clock, but Stonehill answered with two more to take a 10-8 lead. Over a five minute stretch, the team's exchanged one goal each before the Chargers went on a scoring spree. Kathryn Campbell (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) sparked a 3-0 UNH rally, giving the Chargers a 12-11 lead with 7:34 remaining. Stonehill evened the score after winning the next draw and then with 5:36 left scored the game-winning goal. In the final three minutes, the Chargers recorded one scoring opportunity. The Skyhawks eventually held possession and sealed the win in the final two minutes.

The Chargers and Skyhawks played a very close game. Stonehill held a narrow 25-23 advantage in shots, while UNH held an 8-5 advantage in saves. The Skyhawks recorded 21 ground balls, while New Haven grabbed 16.

Gabbe and Lieberman each led the Chargers with five points off three goals and two assists. Campbell and Kristina Curry (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) each scored two for the Chargers. Maureen Spellman (Trumbull, Conn./Saint Joseph) suffered her first loss of the season between the posts and stopped eight shots.

New Haven will return to action on Wednesday, April 4 when it travels to No. 14 Dowling College. Game time is set for 4 p.m. in Oakdale, N.Y. For complete coverage, stay posted to www.NewHavenChargers.com.