NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Three Purple Eagles each had three goals but it wasn’t enough as the Niagara University lacrosse team (1-10-0, 0-6-0) lost 16-10 to Iona College (7-6-0, 2-4-0) Friday afternoon in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Niagara Field.

Junior Emma-Lee Harrison (Lakefield, Ont.) led the team with four points on three goals and an assist. Sophomore Vanessa Schultz (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) and freshman Leigh Downing (Auburn, N.Y.) each tallied three goals.

Niagara and Iona battle back and forth all game with neither team taking more than a three-goal lead in the first half. The Gaels scored first at 26:04 when Jaclyn O’Leary scored the first of her game-high six goals.

Harrison tied the game with a goal at 25:02 and then Schultz gave the Purple Eagles the first of their two leads with a tally at 21:14.

Iona scored the next three goals, two by Lisa Baron, to take a 5-2 lead, but Downing and rookie Christina Jablonski (Troy, Mich.) pulled Niagara to within one, 5-4, with 10:27 to play in the half.

Both teams scored in the final 10 minutes for a 6-5 Iona lead at halftime.

Schultz and Downing scored the first two goals of the second half to put Niagara up 7-6, but O’Leary scored five of Iona’s next seven goals to give the Gaels a 13-8 lead at 20:07.

Harrison tallied a pair of goals at 11:41 and 9:35, but the Gaels countered with goals from Courtney Hocking and Christie Godlewski for a 15-10 lead.

Downing and Iona’s Marisa Audley closed the scoring for the game in the final 1:30.

Senior Kristen Engel (Plainview, N.Y.) made 12 saves for Niagara while Colleen Margi made eight saves and got the win for Iona. Carlee Street played the first half for the Gaels and made two saves.

Niagara plays its MAAC season finale Sunday when it hosts Manhattan College at noon.