HOBOKEN, N.J. - The University of Chicago women's lacrosse team fell short against No. 20 Stevens on Wednesday night, suffering a 15-9 defeat. Despite a strong early performance, the Maroons couldn't keep pace with the high-scoring Ducks in the latter stages of the game.

UChicago (5-3) was led by an impressive performance from senior attacker Lulu Hardy, who netted five goals in the contest. Hardy's efforts included a stretch where she scored three times in the first quarter, helping the Maroons briefly take a 3-0 lead. However, Stevens (5-2) responded quickly and grabbed a 4-3 lead at the end of the opening period.

In the second quarter, the Maroons managed to stay competitive, tying the game at 5-5 and briefly taking a 7-8 lead before Stevens closed the half strong. The Ducks scored four unanswered goals to finish the second quarter with a 9-8 lead, and they maintained control for the remainder of the game.

The Ducks' attack, especially in the second half, kept UChicago's defense on its heels throughout the game.

In that half, UChicago's offense struggled to maintain momentum, failing to score more than one goal in both the third and fourth quarters.

Hardy's fifth and final goal came early in the fourth, but Stevens pulled away with three unanswered goals to seal the win.

Defensively, UChicago goalkeeper Rachel Keefe faced a tough challenge, making 12 saves in the losing effort.

The Maroons will look to bounce back as they head into their next match-up, continuing their New Jersey spring break trip on Friday afternoon at The College of New Jersey.