Box Score Colorado College women's lacrosse team won the statistical battles, but lost the war.
 
The Tigers were unable to solve Messiah College's junior goaltender Alexa Dipeso and dropped a 16-8 decision to the 14th-ranked Falcons in twilight encounter on Wednesday at Washburn Field.
 
Dipeso finished with 15 saves, including 10 in the second half that thwarted CC's valiant comeback effort and allowed Messiah to pull away by scoring seven of the game's final eight goals.
 
If not for Dipeso's heroics, Colorado College certainly would have put more pressure on the Falcons during the closing minutes.
 
Showing the effects of the grueling last three days of the block, the Tigers started slowly and trailed 5-0 midway through the first half.
 
Sophomore attacker Steph Kelly put CC on the board with 14:37 to go after taking a pass from junior midfielder Mary Taussig, and after two more Messiah markers, the hosts began to find their stride.
 
Tallies by Taussig, freshman attacker Nikki Blair and Kelly helped Colorado College trim their deficit to 9-4 after 30 minutes, and then the Tigers struck for the first three goals of the second half and trailed by only two with 25 minutes to play.
 
Colorado College had an opportunity to climb even closer during the next minute, but after pressuring the Falcon's into what could have been a turnover, the Tigers were unable to get a handle on the loose ball and junior midfielder Stephanie Athens capitalized with a goal to make the score 10-7.
 
Dipeso denied Annie DeFrino's free-position shot on CC's next possession, then junior attacker Shayna Delaney scored the fourth of her game-high five goals less than a minute later.
 
Colorado College's Lily Benjamin pulled the Tigers to within 11-8 with 17:56 to play, but that proved to be her team's final marker of the contest.
 
CC compiled a 30-24 edge in total shots and a 27-19 advantage in ground balls. The Tigers also won 17 of 26 draw controls.    
 
Senior goaltender Martha Smith stopped six shots for Colorado College.
 
Taussig scooped up a game-high nine ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers, while Kelly finished with a game-high seven draw controls.
 
Kelly also led the Tigers with five points, scoring twice and dishing out three assists. Taussig scored a pair of goals and set up one other.
 
Junior attacker Jenna Stover had three goals and three assists for the Falcons, who improved to 3-2.
 
Colorado College, which slipped to 3-1, hits the road for the first time this Sunday when the Tigers open a three-game swing through Southern California at the University of Redlands.