ALLENTOWN, Pa. – McDaniel jumped out to an 8-2 lead before holding off a second-half surge by Muhlenberg to record a 15-12 Centennial Conference (CC) women's lacrosse win on Saturday.

Paige Messersmith (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) led the Green Terror (7-6, 3-3 CC) with four goals and an assist, adding six draw controls in the victory.

Michelle Certosimo paced the Mules (5-6, 0-5 CC) with three goals and three assists while Stephanie Umbach contributed four goals and an assist.

Anna Molhenrich (Towson, Md./Mercy) converted the first of eight McDaniel free-position goals 2:19 into the game for a 1-0 lead before Certosimo countered fewer than three minutes later.

After Danielle Entrot (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) and Alex Bellini traded markers before Messermisth sparked a six-goal run over a 5-minute, 59-second stretch for an 8-2 lead with 10:46 to play in the opening half.

Messersmith hit Entrot 1:37 after she started the stretch. Molhenrich scored twice during the span.

Goals from Bellini and Ally Shaffer closed the deficit to 8-4 before Entrot and Anna Beaudry (Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional hit free-position goals in the final 3:07 of the stanza to make it a 10-4 game.

Messersmith and Julia Jacobs (Stevensville, Md./St. Mary's) tacked on markers in the first 1:04 of the second half to push the lead to 12-4 before Muhlenberg rallied with eight of the game's next nine goals.

Three Umbach tallies between 23:47 and 15:21 keyed a stretch that closed the deficit to 12-9 before Messersmith finished a solo run with 14:37 on the clock to make it a 13-9 advantage.

Goals from Molly Davin, Certosimo and Umbach in a span of 10 minutes, 10 seconds made it a one-goal game with 3:38 remaining.

Messersmith responded with a free-position goal 35 seconds later before Maggie Quinn (Crofton, Md./Archbishop Spalding) secured the win with 1:38 on the clock.

Lily Galzerano (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) made 15 saves in goal. Quinn added five draw control wins.

McDaniel returns to action at Dickinson on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

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