Box Score LEXINGTON, Ky. - An impressive second-half defensive stand wasn't enough for Transylvania women's lacrosse Monday, as they were downed in a fiery offense first half by Centre, 21-8.

The Pioneers entered the second half with a noticable defensive prescence. After giving up 16 goals in the first, the Pioneers held Centre to only five in the second half, responding with four of their own. Yet, the first-half deficit made it too difficult to rebound, handing the Pioneers the loss.

The ramped up defense was led in part by junior Elizabeth Thomas, who's aggressive play gave her three caused turnovers and three ground balls.

"Defensively, Liz Thomas gets better every game," said Coach Marvine. "She is invaluable for us. She's the tough matchup our opponents have to prepare for."

Transylvania's defensive unit allowed only eight Colonel shots in the second half, compared to 20 in the first, while also cutting down their turnovers, which gave the Colonels several offensive opportunities in the first half, from 13 to three.

It was the Pioneers who struck first just 30 seconds into the contest out of the pocket of sophomore Jessica Bier. The Pioneers' lone lead would be short-lived, as Centre responded with two back-to-back goals just one minute later to lead 2-1. It was all the Colonels needed to kick their momentum into high gear, netting another two-straight goals out of the pocket of Centre's Sarah Mastey, followed by the second goal of the night by Meg Hawthorne, to lead 5-1.

The Centre offense continued to assault the Transylvania net, scoring another at the 27-minute mark to lead 6-1, prompting a Pioneer timeout. Despite Transylvania's defense holding off the Centre attack for a short time, Centre continued to attack the Pioneers' red zone, creating an 11-1 lead a mere 10 minutes into the contest.

It would be Kruse who would interrupt Centre's dominance at the 18-minute mark, nailing a goal into the center of the Colonel cage off a swift pass from Bausum. The goal cute the deficit to single digits, 11-2.

But, the single-digits didn't last long. The Colonels continued to litter the Pioneer net, creating crafty shots and recording four additional goals, giving the Colonels a 15-2 cushion with 6:50 remaining in the first half.

Despite the intensity, Transylvania refused to give up.

Harrison and Bausum found the Colonel cage at the 5:33 and 2:04-minute marks to cut the deficit to 15-4, but Centre would have the last word before the buzzer, netting a goal to lead 16-4 going into halftime before their second-half defensive stand.

Sophomore Rachel Harrison proved to be Transylvania's offensive spark, as she went 5-for-5, netting five of the eight Pioneer goals on the day.

"Rachel Harrison was on fire today," said Head Coach Haley Marvine. "She does so much for us. She is always working hard all over the field."

Harrison also converted her single free position attempt, grabbed two ground balls and snagged four draw controls. Teammate sophomore Aubrey Bausum accounted for the additional scoring momentum, recording one goal, but racking up a team-high in assists with three. Bier and Molly Kruse accounted for Pioneers' remaining two goals.

"Aubrey has stepped up as a dual threat," said Coach Marvine. "Teams know she can score, but now that she has stepped up to lead us in assists, she is hard to stop." 

The Pioneers cap the 2014 season on Saturday, as they face Defiance at home for the grand opening of the new Transylvania Athletic Complex at 3 p.m.