MEQUAN, Wis. – The Carthage College Lady Reds dropped a hard-fought mid-week match Wednesday at the Concordia University-Wisconsin's Fitting Field, falling to the Falcons, 11-8.
 
The loss drops Carthage to 4-3 on the season and fall to 2-2 on the seven-game road swing, while Concordia improves to 6-1 this year.
 
Shannon Long opened the scoring with a goal 26-seconds into the match, as she gathered a ground ball and took it three quarters of the field alone for the unassisted goal and a 1-0 Lady Reds lead.  A quick answer by the Falcons would tie it at 1-1, before Kara Vana and Rachel Mussell would each score before the 20-minute mark to give the Lady Reds the 3-1 lead.  Later, an exchange of goals by Kendell Santin and CUW's Lauren Paquin made it 4-2 in favor of Carthage.
 
The Lady Reds would hit a scoring drough though for the next 13 minutes, allowing Concordia to find the back of the net three times to take their first lead of the match at 5-4 with just over seven minutes remaining in the half.
 
The lead for the Falcons would be short lived however, as goals by Maddie Griffin and Vana's second regained the lead for Carthage.  A late goal by Concordia sent the game into the halftime break at a tie, 6-6.
 
The second half looked as though it to was going to be a back and forth affair, with Carthage twice grabbing the lead in the first 15 minutes of the half behind goals Greigh Hoeft and Rachel Mussell.  However the Lady Reds went cold the final 15 minutes and the Falcons made Carthage pay, scoring the final four goals of the match to come from behind for the 11-8 win.
 
Paquin finished the game with a match-high five goals, while Concordia outshot the Lady Reds 23-16 on target.  Vana and Mussell led the Lady Reds with two goals apiece.
 
The Lady Reds will now head to Minnesota for games with the University of Northwestern and Augsburg College, April 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Following the trip up north, the Lady Reds will conclude the road trip with the opening of the 2016 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season when they face Elmhurst April 9th at Langhorst Field.