BALTIMORE – Senior midfielder Katana Nelson scored four goals, but the UMBC women's lacrosse team dropped their first game of the season, 16-8, against the Delaware Blue Hens on Wednesday afternoon at UMBC Stadium.

Senior attacker Grace Bruce recorded a hat trick and Isabella Fontana made a game-high eight saves for the Retrievers. Freshman Reese Macintosh dished a pair of assists and ground balls while Lauryn Warfield recorded five draw controls.

The Retrievers (6-1) got off to a good start, leading the visitors by a score of 3-2 with 6:56 remaining in the opening quarter.  Nelson scored two unassisted goals, and Bruce scored off an assist by Macintosh.

The Blue Hens (4-2) scored two straight goals to grab a 4-3 edge late in the opening stanza, but Nelson scored her third goal of the quarter with 1:05 left to even the score at 4-4.

Sam Paradise scored on a free position shot with one tick left in the opening quarter to give Delaware the lead for good. It started a run of ten straight goals for the Blue Hens.

The Blue Hens took a commanding 10-4 lead at the break and then scored the first four goals of the third quarter to put the game out of reach as 14-4 with under a minute left in the third quarter.

The Retrievers held a 4-2 advantage in the final quarter led by two goals by Bruce.

Jaclyn Marszal paced the visitors with four goals, while Delaney McDaniel had five assists.

UMBC will host Furman on Sunday at noon.