• Patriots improve to 5-1 in the Atlantic 10
• Deanna Balsama tied her career-high with five goals
• Goalkeeper Melissa Semkiw stopped a career-high tying 19 shots

Pittsburgh, Pa. --The George Mason lacrosse team got career-high performances by goalkeeper Melissa Semkiw and freshman Deanna Balsama as the Patriots defeated Duquesne, 14-13 at Rooney Field in Pittsburgh today.

The Patriots went up 2-0 with a free position goal by senior Chachi Kelehan and a goal by Erin Donoghue. After trading goals, Duquesne rattled off seven straight goals to take a 8-3 lead with six minutes left in the period. 
 
Mason battled back with three unanswered goals in a minute stretch, beginning at the 5:17 mark, with goals by Julianna Brown, Hailey Johnson and Deanna Balsama. Mason goalkeeper Melissa Semkiw turned away two free position attempts by the Dukes in the final minute of the half as the Patriots went into intermission down two goals, 8-6.
 
The Patriots and the Dukes would each get two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half before Mason ripped off four straight goals, two by Balsama. Erin Donoghue and Johnson each scored a goal in that five-minute stretch that would give the Patriots a 12-10 lead.
 
Defense was the story for the Patriots in the second half with nearly a 10-minute stretch of not allowing a goal. After a timeout by Duquesne at 13:59, the Dukes would score two goals to tie the match at 12-12 at 9:58 remaining.
 
The Patriots would respond with goals by Chachi Kelehan and Deanna Balsama, who scored with only seven seconds left on the shot clock as Mason successfully worked the game clock.  
 
With under a minute to play the Dukes would have three shots blocked or saved before Duquesne's Rilee Bradshaw scored her fifth goal of the game with seven seconds remaining to end the scoring at 14-13.
 
The Patriots return home to face Saint Joseph's and George Washington next weekend at George Mason Stadium.