Abbie Graham scored twice in the first half for Benedictine University and the Lakeland University women's soccer team gave a game effort from behind but was unable to rally all the way back in a 4-2 loss Saturday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game at Taylor Field.

The Muskies twice were able to put a dent in Benedictine leads but could never get even after Graham's opening goal in the 16th minute. Lakeland dropped to 4-9-1 overall and is now 0-6 in the NACC after losing by two goals for the fourth time in conference play.

Graham headed in a cross by Katie Farb at 15:04 of the match to get the Eagles (6-7 overall, 3-3 NACC) on the board. She then added a second goal in the 33rd minute, scoring unassisted to give the guests a 2-0 lead.

Lakeland cut that margin in half less than four minutes later as Hope Cerney (So.-Green Bay, Wis.) scored her fourth goal of the season, and Benedictine continued to lead 2-1 into halftime. The Muskies were within a goal despite the Eagles owning a 14-2 advantage in shot attempts in the first 45 minutes.

Benedictine would turn a one-goal advantage into three in a span of 6:26 early in the second half. The first goal came when Eve Meintz crossed a long pass from the right side of the field to Farb on the left side of the goal, and she scored her first of the season from 20 yards out to make it 3-1. The Eagles would add another at 58:58 when Graham's free kick was knocked away by Erin Tomlinson (Fr.-Madison, Wis.) as she went to the ground, but it went right to Stephanie Nichols, who had an open net and an easy tap-in for her first score of the season.

Lakeland got back within two in the 65th minute. Elizabeth Siebert (Jr.-Mount Pulaski, Ill.) made a nice pass from the middle through to Cerney just inside the penalty area, but an aggressive challenge by an Eagles defender was whistled and gave the Muskies a penalty kick. Rachel Hasko (Jr.-Racine, Wis.) took the kick and punched it into the low right corner of the net for her team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Benedictine held an advantage in possession most of the way and finished with a 25-4 advantage in shot attempts. Tomlinson made 13 saves in goal, while Eagles keeper Cassidy Henson did not have to make a stop in picking up the win.

Lakeland goes back on the road Wednesday when it travels to face Concordia University Wisconsin at 3:30 p.m. in Mequon.