MARIETTA, Ga. --- The No. 4 Life University women's lacrosse team found themselves in a top 10 showdown against Mid-South Conference foe and top ranked Keiser University today at home, making a late charge to pull within a single score late, but were not able to finish the come back, losing in a nail-biter at Lupo Family Field 10-9 Friday afternoon.

Life U (4-1, 1-1 MSC) opened the game against Keiser (4-0, 2-0 MSC) in a defensive contest, the team's trading possessions but neither finding the back of the net until the Seahawks posted the first score with 5:33 to play in the first. Brianna Freeman hit Kelly Beshaw with a quick pass as Beshaw was cutting towards the goal to even the score 1-1 just over a minute later. Keiser answered to retake the lead shortly after, while Life U again tied things up in the final 30 seconds of the first after Nicole Ortiz got a shot past the goal keeper on a free position shot.

The Second quarter looked to start well for the Running Eagles, Ortiz scoring off a free position again to take a 3-2 lead, but the Seahawks would run off three unanswered goals over the following five minutes to take a 5-3 lead. With 2:24 until halftime, Annaliese Froese made an athletic move near the net to find some open space and ripped in a goal to pull back within a single score, but Keiser again answered to see the teams go into the break, Life U trailing 6-4.

The third quarter was not kind to the Running Eagles, Keiser scoring a four goals to Life U's one, sandwiching Freeman's free position goal with a pair on both sides as the Seahawks took what looked to be a commanding 10-5 lead into the final 15 minutes of play. Life U was not done though, the team sending its bench and the Life U fans into a frenzy as the team started a frenetic come back. Freeman started things, scoring off a Lacy Legaspi assist with 13:41 to play. Following Keiser forcing a Life U turnover, Maria Arvizu took things into her own hands, quickly causing a turnover, picking the ball up and netting the ball for Life U's second score in 40 seconds. Arvizu was not finished, taking the next draw and racing down the field for an even quicker follow-up score, seeing the Keiser lead diminish to 10-8 with 12:52 to play. Freeman's third goal of the game, off another free position chance, saw Life U within a single score 10-9 with 11 minutes left to play. The Running Eagles did not find the last score they needed though, unable to get past the physical Keiser defense, losing 10-9.

Freeman paced the Running Eagles in scoring, posting a team high three to go with a single assist. The other multi-goal scorers were Ortiz with two, and Arvizu, who again stuffed the stat sheet with a pair of goals, four ground balls, four draw controls, and seven caused turnovers. Leanne Windon showed out on the defensive side, forcing a game high 12 turnovers while also picking up five ground balls. Nina Sutton also chipped in good numbers, earning three draw controls and picking up a game high six ground balls.

Life U held the advantage in the majority of statistics despite the loss, leading the Seahawks in shots 23-19, caused turnovers 34-21, ground balls 34-29, and in clear percentage 21-for-24 to the Seahawk's 19-for-36. The only stats that Life U trailed in were draw controls 14-9 and saves 9-4.

The Running Eagles return to action in a week for another top 10 matchup, this time facing No. 5 Reinhardt in Lupo Family Field for a 4 PM start.