SELINSGROVE, Pa. - The Drew University men's lacrosse team battled Susquehanna University down to the wire, but the host River Hawks came away with an 8-6 victory in Landmark Conference (LC) action Saturday afternoon.

The Rangers trailed just 7-6 after a goal from freshman Brett Spafford with 2:36 remaining. But Susquehanna won the ensuing face-off, burned a minute off the clock, then reset the shot clock by hitting the post. After regaining possession, the River Hawks scored an empty-netter with 35 seconds left to put the game away.

Senior Michael McGeeney made 16 saves for Drew while freshman David Burke aided the defensive effort with three caused turnovers and three ground balls. Offensively, freshman Kellum Foster-Palmer, freshman Michael Phillips, and sophomore Craig Wilkie notched one goal and one assist apiece.

Colton Dick posted one goal and three assists for Susquehanna (2-4, 2-2 LC).

The Rangers struck first when sophomore Kyle Weeks scored off a feed from Foster-Palmer just 1:14 into the contest. After a pair of River Hawk goals, Foster-Palmer netted a man-up tally off a dish from sophomore Tommy Larmore with 35 ticks showing, and it was a 2-2 game after the opening quarter.

Phillips pulled Drew even at 3-3 with 9:39 left in the second quarter, but it would be the Rangers final goal of the half. Susquehanna ended the period on a 3-0 run to assume a 6-3 lead at the intermission.

The Rangers scored the only goal in the third quarter, as Wilkie converted off a pass from Phillips to make it a 6-4 game. 

Drew edged to within a goal twice in the fourth quarter. Freshman GJ Nazziola cashed in off an assist from Wilkie with 12:57 left to pull his team within 6-5. Neither side would score until Susquehanna converted with 7:38 left, but the Rangers answered five minutes later on Spafford's goal that made it 7-6.

The Rangers (0-3, 0-3 LC) return to action on Wednesday, when they host the University of Scranton at 4:30 p.m. in another Landmark Conference tilt.