GETTYSBURG, Pa. (February 24, 2024) – The No. 25 Denison University women's lacrosse team put up a good effort in its season opener against the No. 2 nationally-ranked team in the country and the 2023 NCAA Division III national runner-up, Gettysburg College, but in the end the Big Red fell by a final score of 17-10 against the Bullets.

Sophomore Mary Martinson got Denison (0-1 overall) on the board to make it a 2-1 Big Red deficit in the first five minutes of the game. Martinson's goal was the first goal surrendered by Gettysburg (3-0) in its first three quarters of a game so far this year.

A goal by senior Maddie Morrell made it a 3-2 Big Red deficit in the final four minutes of the opening period before a free position and man-up goal by another senior, Merrill Rollhaus, tied it one minute later.

Despite trailing 5-3 after the first quarter, Denison was able to hang tough with the second-ranked Bullets after winning each of the first five draw controls of the game.

In the second quarter, however, Gettysburg scored seven straight goals to make it a 9-0 run before Rollhaus scored in the final minute before halftime to make it 12-4.

Denison was outshot 13-4 in the second quarter and 22-10 in the first half, but scored four straight goals in the third quarter to make the score 13-8 and surpass the total number of goals given up by Gettysburg in its first two games of the season (5).

The Big Red outshot the Bullets 8-3 in the third quarter and forced eight Gettysburg turnovers, and then Denison started to make it interesting as senior Josie Lucchesi assisted on a pair of goals by sophomores Bridget Sheehy and Grayson O'Marra to make it just a four-goal game (14-10) in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Although the Bullets finished the game by scoring the final three goals, it was a far cry from the Big Red's 14-1 loss at Gettysburg last season.

Three of Denison's four goals in the third quarter came from Morrell, who finished with four goals in the season opener and was matched by Lucchesi (1 goal, 3 assists) with four points.

In addition to scoring twice, Rollhaus led the Big Red with five draw controls while Sheehy added three draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers.

Gettysburg returns four all-conference performers and four of its top-five scorers from last season. Caroline Sullivan led with seven points (6 goals, 1 assist) against the Big Red while the two-time reigning Centennial Conference Attacker of the Year, Jordan Basso, recorded six points (5 goals, 1 assist).

Splitting time in goal for the Big Red was freshmen Julianne Henigan and junior Audrey Hughes.

Next up, Denison will wrap up its opening weekend of the season featuring two games on back-to-back days in Pennsylvania by playing at Dickinson College starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 25. Last season, the Big Red fell 13-12 on the road against the Red Devils after being outscored 6-2 in the third quarter.