EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The UW-River Falls women's lacrosse season opened its 2026 season with a 15-10 loss versus Sewanee on Saturday morning at the Sonnentag Center.
The Falcons battled back from an early deficit and tied the game entering the fourth quarter, but Sewanee closed on a 5-0 run to earn the win.
UWRF was led by Samantha Hayek's four goals and one assist, including two free-position scores. Brooke Glumack added three goals and three assists, while Natasha Berthiaume scored twice and Avery Watzke added one.
After Sewanee opened a 6-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Falcons responded with a 4-0 second-quarter run to tie the contest at 7-7. The teams went into halftime even at 8-8.
The back-and-forth continued in the third, as Berthiaume scored while man-down and Hayek converted another free-position attempt to knot the score at 10-10. Sewanee regained the lead late in the period and controlled the fourth, outscoring the Falcons 4-0 in the final 15 minutes.
Sewanee held a 34-20 edge in shots and a 16-11 advantage in draw controls. The Falcons led 27-21 in ground balls and went 10-for-15 on clears. Goalkeeper Annelise Rommeck made nine saves in the loss.
Up next, the Falcons (0-1, 0-0 WIAC) travel to face the University on Chicago next Saturday, Feb. 21.