DeLand, Fla. – Stetson Lacrosse fell short in a hard-fought battle against Kennesaw State, losing 17-14 after a valiant attempt to overcome a double-digit deficit. Samantha King, Anya Lucia Phillips, and Katie Kornacki each recorded a hat trick for the Hatters.

Kennesaw State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Sam King put Stetson on the board. The Owls then added three more goals, but Kornacki answered with her first of the day, making it 5-2.

The Hatters came out strong in the second period, with Kathleen Nichols scoring first to trim the deficit to 6-3. Kornacki added another goal to close out the quarter, but Stetson entered halftime trailing 10-4.

Kennesaw State opened the second half with four unanswered goals, triggering a running clock. However, Stetson responded with two quick goals just 16 seconds apart, courtesy of Phillips and Charlotte Castiglione, to make it 14-6 heading into the final quarter.

The Hatters erupted in the fourth, scoring six goals in a 6-1 run. King and Phillips each tallied two goals, while Lexi Bird and Kaitlin Pani also contributed, narrowing the gap to 15-12 with 7:44 left. Kennesaw State added a goal to push their lead back to four, but Kornacki and Miya Scanlan responded for Stetson, cutting the deficit to two with 1:41 remaining. Unfortunately, the Hatters were unable to secure the ensuing draw control and fell to the Owls 17-14.

Next up, Stetson will host San Diego State on Wednesday, April 2, at 6:00 p.m.