EUGENE, ORE. – The Purple Eagles improved to 3-0 to start the season with four goals from Rachel Crane and six saves from Emma Mielke in net to take down PAC-12 foe 12-10 in non-conference women's lacrosse action Saturday afternoon.   
 
Game Recap
First Quarter
• Rachel Crane quickly got the Purple Eagles on the board less than 15 seconds after the opening draw.
• After Oregon tied the game at 1-1, Jenna Brill would find the back of the net for the second time this season, giving Niagara a 2-1 lead with 10:26 to play.
• With the score now 2-2, junior Lexi Braniecki took a pass from Andra Savage to give Niagara a 3-2 lead.  
• Niagara took a 4-2 lead in the first quarter when Savage unloaded one into the back of the net, her ninth goal of the season.
 
Second Quarter
• The Ducks would score three times in the second quarter, leading to a 5-5 game at the break.
• R. Crane notched her second goal of the contest in the frame, moving her season total to five.
 
Third Quarter
• Oregon took its first lead of the contest 6-5 with 14:24 on the clock, but Niagara would even the score just over a minute later when Braniecki took the pass from Riley Latray for her second goal of the contest.
• A free-position goal by Latray with 7:01 on the clock gave the Purple Eagles a 7-6 lead over the Ducks.
• Less than a minute later, Lois Garlow would connect on her first goal of the game and ninth of the season on a free-position attempt, giving NU an 8-6 advantage on the road.
• Niagara would take an 8-7 lead into the final quarter of play.
 
Fourth Quarter
• R. Crane would get her third goal of the contest three minutes into the final stanza, giving Niagara a 9-7 lead over Oregon.
• A few minutes later Andra Savage found the back of the net to make it a 10-7 NU lead on the road.
• R. Crane would beat the Oregon goalie for the fourth time on the afternoon, giving NU a four-goal cushion.
• Latray gave the Purple and White a five-goal lead with her second free-position goal of the contest.
• Oregon would score three times in the final three minutes of play., but the Purple Eagles would hold on for the 12-10 win in Eugene.
 
Niagara Notes
• Saturday marked Niagara's first-ever win over a Power 5 program.
• The Purple Eagles improve to 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2019.
• R. Crane recorded a season-high four goals in the win. The senior last scored four goals on April 21, 2022 at Siena. She also led Niagara with seven draw controls.
• Mielke finished with a season-best six stops, earning her second collegiate win, in her first collegiate start.
• With two goals today, Savage now has a team-best ten tallies on the season.
• Jess Foley, Amber Daley and Mielke led NU with tree ground balls apiece as NU finished with 16.
• Niagara collected six caused turnovers, led by Daley who finished with two.
 
Up Next
• The Purple and White return to New York and head to Hamilton to take on Colgate on for a 1 p.m. opening draw on Sunday, Feb. 26.