Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team showed plenty of grit in its home opener as the Lions scored the game's final three goals to pull out a 16-14 victory over visiting Messiah College on Saturday.
 
The Falcons (1-3) led a majority of the game and the teams were also tied four times, before the seventh-ranked Lions (2-0) took their first lead of the game with less than five minutes to go.
 
Both teams had their offenses in high gear in the first half combining for 18 goals as Messiah led 10-8 at the break.
 
In the second half, the Lions tightened things up on the defensive end of the field allowing only one goal in the final 20 minutes of the game and offensively doubled-up the Falcons in goals at 8-4, which helped erase and earlier five-goal deficit.
 
A key point in the second half saw the Falcons have a goal disallowed with 12:42 remaining that would have extended their lead to 14-12. Instead, that goal was taken down and the Lions went right down the field and scored 42 seconds later to tie the game. That goal came off of the stick of junior Erin Healy (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) with an assist from Jen Garavente (Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp).
 
Messiah briefly went back in front, 14-13 on a goal from Lizzy Keeney (Cockeysville, MD/Dulaney) with 9:19 left, but the Lions controlled play the rest of the way.
 
Junior Kendal Borup (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) tied the game at 14-14 on a free-position attempt with 6:54 left and 2:09 later gave the hosts their first lead of the game with classmate Erin Waller (Washington Twp., NJ/Washington Twp.) earning an assist. That goal came with 4:43 left in regulation.
 
Healy added an insurance goal with 30 seconds left when Messiah was pressing for a turnover.
 
Freshman Kelly Schlupp (Holland, PA/Council Rock South) earned her first collegiate win in goal for the Lions, finishing with two saves.
 
Messiah goalie Sarah Dolan (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) made 12 saves for the Falcons.
 
In the opening half, the teams traded goals early before the Falcons forged a 9-4 advantage with 5:40 left in the period. TCNJ had a big spark just before the half scoring four of the next five goals. Borup started that stretch for the Lions with an unassisted goal and 4:48 showing on the clock.
 
Messiah got the score right back to make it 10-5, but the Lions kept coming. Healy made it 10-6 rifling a laser into the upper corner of the net  and less than a minute later Borup scored on a free-position shot to make it a three-goal game with 2:39 left in the half.
 
Healy made it a 10-8 contest with her second goal in just over a minute and that score carried over into halftime.
 
Borup had a big game for the Lions with seven goals and one assist, while Healy netted four goals and junior Ava Fitzgerald (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) had a pair.
 
Kinney and Casey Daggett (Hershey, PA/Lancaster County Day School) each had five goals for Messiah.
 
The Lions will open New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, March 12 when they host Rutgers-Camden at 5 p.m.