INDIANAPOLIS (3/6/2022) -- Five Titans found the back of the net, but a slow start spelled doom for the red, white and blue as the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team fell, 18-5, at Butler on Sunday afternoon.

Senior Elise Harder, junior Annie Gilbert, redshirt sophomore Charlotte Dale, sophomore Sarah Meek and freshman Leah Bodnar all found the back of the net, the first of their careers for Meek and Bodnar. Harder also added three draw controls, while senior Taylor Cantelon registered a team-high four to go with a pair of caused turnovers. 

Freshman Meredith Leavell made six saves in the game in net, while junior Hannah Shrader tallied three.

Detroit Mercy (0-5, 0-2 MAC) saw Butler (2-2) open the game with eight-straight goals until Dale ended that off a pass from junior Marina Butler at the end of the first. Gilbert got the second goal off a pass from freshman Maddy Camm and then the Titans had back-to-back scores as Meek netted her first collegiate goal off another pass from Butler and Bodnar beat the keeper to make it 12-4 with 5:07 left in the second.

The Titans' final strike came in the third as Harder was able to fire a laser past the goalie. 

Detroit Mercy nearly won draw controls (14-12) and ground balls (12-9), but forced Butler into 14 turnovers and held the Bulldogs to 1-of-5 off free positions. The Titans were also 12-of-16 on clears. 

Detroit Mercy will return to action next Saturday, Mar. 12, as the red, white and blue get back to MAC action at Youngstown State with game time set for 1:00 p.m.