Salisbury, Md. – The No. 13 St. Mary's College of Maryland women's lacrosse team saw their hopes of gaining the program's fourth Capital Athletic Conference championship title dashed Saturday afternoon with a 12-5 loss to No. 3 Salisbury University.

Top-seeded Salisbury (16-2) picked up its 14th-straight conference crown and the league's automatic qualifying bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament with the win. The Seahawks (16-3) fall to 3-3 all-time in the CAC championship game following today's loss and now rests their postseason fate on the NCAA Selection Committee. St. Mary's hopes to get an at-large bid when the NCAA Tournament bracket is announced on Sunday, May 8 at 9:30 p.m. on www.ncaa.com.

Second-seeded St. Mary's drew first blood as senior captain Tori Poffenberger (Sharpsburg, Md./Boonsboro) fired one past sophomore Gianna Falcone (Florham Park, N.J./Saint Elizabeth) at 28:48. Salisbury's defense then took over, keeping the Seahawks outside of the eight-meter arc and off the board for the remainder of the half. In the meantime, the Sea Gulls built a six-goal halftime lead.

Senior attacker Megan Wallenhorst (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) paced SU with one goal and three assists while junior attacker Hannah Young (Harleysville, Pa./North Penn) scored twice in the first half as Salisbury posted a 7-1 halftime advantage.

The Seahawks struggled from the eight-meter arc as St. Mary's was 0-for-4 in free-position goals in the first half and finished the game 2-for-7.

Wallenhorst once again found the back of the net with a free-position goal at 24:52 to start off the second half. Senior captain Shelby Newman (Hampstead, Md./Manchester Valley) finally halted the Sea Gulls' seven-goal run and put an end to St. Mary's nearly 35-minute scoreless drought with a free-position goal at 23:55. Poffenberger tallied her second of the day, converting a free-position goal at 22:09.

The Sea Gulls rattled off three straight to stop St. Mary's only run of the game and stake an 11-3 advantage behind a goal and two helpers from sophomore attacker Dana King (Lusby, Md./Patuxent). Sophomore midfielder Meg Cannon (Reisterstown, Md./Notre Dame Prep) added another one for the Seahawks at 13:44 as Cannon ripped one from just outside the eight-meter.

Salisbury's final goal of the day came from the stick of junior midfielder Gabbi Nieves (Centreville, Va./Paul VI) at 12:48. Nieves finished the afternoon with a hat trick. Poffenberger collected a hat trick as well for St. Mary's as she notched one with 2:04 remaining in the game.

Salisbury outshot the Seahawks, 21-19, for the game after St. Mary's posted a 10-8 edge in shots in the second half. The Seahawks won the ground ball battle, 16-15, as senior captains Kayla Dunn (Rockville, Md./Good Counsel) and Kate Somerville (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) each scooped up three.

Cannon, senior midfielder Brynn Miller (Frederick, Md./Urbana), and junior defender Mackenzie Rayburn (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) each grabbed two draw controls as St. Mary's squeaked out a 10-9 advantage in draws. Draws were even at 5-5 in the second half.

Dunn finished the afternoon with six saves while Falcone recorded eight with four in each half.

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