NEWBURG, Ore.– A late rally fell short, and Eastern University Women's Lacrosse dropped its season-opener, 13-8, at George Fox University in Oregon. Julie Haggan scored three times for the Eagles.

The host Bruins scored the first seven goals of the game and held the Eagles off the board for the first twenty minutes of the game. Liz Brennan broke through with ten minutes to play on a pass from Mackenzie Dix. The Bruins answered, but Julie Haggan scored twice in the final five minutes of the half to close the gap to 8-3 at intermission.

The Bruins held a 12-11 edge in shots and both teams put ten shots on goal. George Fox goalie Mikaela Easterlin made seven of her 11 saves in the first half.

Brennan scored her second of the day to start the second half, but the Bruins restored the five-goal edge less than a minute later and increased the lead to 10-4 on an unassisted goal with 24 minutes to play.

Haggan found Anna Charlebois to cut the deficit to 10-5, but the Bruins added two more goals before the midpoint of the second half. The Eagles put together three-straight goals over a 14-minute stretch, but it was not enough to overcome the slow start. Haggan, Charlebois, and Liz Brennan each scored in the run.

Sam Brennan led the Eastern defense with four caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls.

The Bruins (1-0) finished 9-5 in 2016. Eastern will play at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. on Thursday at 6 pm Pacific Time.