WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.- Elise Person scored a team high four goals, and Jamie Alvino scored a hat trick, but the Long Island University women's lacrosse team came up short at Monmouth on Wednesday afternoon.
 
After the Hawks scored a goal in the opening minute of the game, Alyssa Mallery kicked off a three-goal run for the Sharks as she scored a free position goal. Rachel Masullo scored her first goal of the day to give the Sharks an early 2-1 lead. Bianca Santucci followed that up with her first goal of the season.
 
Monmouth would end LIU's run with a free position goal of their own, before Person scored her first goal of the game to extend the lead to two once again. The Hawks responded, and scored five unanswered goals to take the lead.
 
With 12 minutes left of the first half, Person's second goal of the game came on a free position attempt. Alvino followed that with her first goal of the game, putting the Sharks within one. Monmouth scored three more times before Alvino collected the ball from Santucci and scored her second of the day. Person scored her third goal of the day, completing her hat trick, at end of the first half. Monmouth would score again before both teams went to the locker room for halftime.
 
Coming out of the halftime break, both teams held each other scoreless for the first five minutes. Monmouth struck first, but Paige Sherlock scored less than 30 seconds later. The remainder of the second half was back and forth, but the Sharks were unable to put together a run to catch the Hawks. Person and Alvino both capped their hat tricks with their third goals of the day. Whitney Moran scored her first goal of the season, and Masullo scored once more for the Sharks in the final two minutes of the game.
 
Behind her four goals, Person also led the team with three caused turnovers, and she also scooped up two ground balls. Kendall Purdy collected a team-high five ground balls on the day. Hailey Duchnowski made a season-high 14 saves in net and also had four ground balls.
 
The Sharks return home on Sunday, February 23 when they welcome Quinnipiac University to Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. Opening draw against the Bobcats is set for 12:00 p.m.