STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-  Monmouth University's women's lacrosse team battled back from a late two-goal deficit to down Wagner College 12-11, in the 2010 regular season finale on Sunday.

Down by two with just under five minutes to play, Monmouth's Shawn Evans (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) cut the lead to one on an unassisted shot.  It took just 24 seconds for junior Rachel Feirstein's (St. James, N.Y./Smithtown East) to tie the game at 11-11 but she was not done there.  The two teams traded possessions with time winding down before Feirstein struck on a free position shot that beat Seahawk goaltender Alex Johnston with 1:32 remaining in regulation.  Down by one, Wagner won the draw and drove to the MU net, taking a shot that was turned away by MU goalie Kirby Mundorf (Catonsville, Md./Seton Keogh).  Feirstein solidified the win by grabbing the ground ball and enabling Monmouth to run out the clock.

With the win, Monmouth finished the regular season with a 9-8 overall record and a 7-2 conference mark, sewing up the third seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament.  Wagner finishes the season with a 3-12 record, including a 2-7 mark in Northeast Conference play.  Monmouth is now 15-0 all-time against the Seahawks.

Wagner tied the game at 6-6 on a Carolyn Clark goal in the first three minutes of the second half to erase a one-time three-goal Monmouth lead. The Hawks scored back-to-back goals from seniors Brittney McLaughlin (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) and Ali Pollock (Watervliet, N.Y./Shaker) over the next three minutes to regain the lead, 8-6.  The home-team Wagner Seahawks would not be deterred though; tying the game once again on a pair of Carolyn Clark goals.  Wagner's Dana Marchitelli gave Wagner its first lead of the game with 11:54 to play before Clark's fourth goal of the game pushed the WC advantage to 10-8.

Feirstein's second goal of the game put the Hawks back just one with 9:08 showing on the clock but Marchitelli struck again to keep MU down a pair.  Senior Shawn Evans (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) closed the gap again with 4:27 to play and 24 seconds later Feirstein knotted the game up at 11-11 with an unassisted marker.  With 1:32 to play Feirstein struck again, regaining the lead for Monmouth; this time for good.

The Hawks sprinted out to a three goal lead with tallies by Molly O'Brien (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville), Fierstein and Evans before Wagner's Clark got the Seahawks on the board with 18:48 left in the first.  MU would net three out of the next four goals, including two by Pollock, to take a 6-2 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining before halftime.  Wagner responded well to the challenge on senior day, scoring three goals in the final 2:26 of the first half to cut the Monmouth lead to 6-5 at the break.

Feirstein led the Hawks with four goals, while Evans and Pollock each finished with a trio of scores.  Mundorf had eight saves in net as MU outshot Wagner 30-22 in the match.  The Hawks created 12 turnovers while committing just eight in the win. 

Clark single handedly kept the Seahawks in the game with her five-goal one assist effort on the day.  Midfielder Teri Noll chipped in four points on three goals and an assist while Johnston finished with 11 saves.

Monmouth will be the third seed in next weekend's 2010 Northeast Conference Tournament, hosted on the campus of Sacred Heart.  The Hawks will face Quinnipiac on Friday in the semifinals; game times are to be announced.