NEWARK, Del. --- The Jacksonville Dolphins made their first ever trip to Delaware Stadium to welcome new conference foes the Delaware Blue Hens. What ensued was one of the most dynamic games of the season, as the Dolphins ultimately fell to the Blue Hens 14-13 Thursday afternoon.

Jacksonville was led by senior Ainsley Scruggs who scored three goals and provided two assists. She was one of seven JU goal scorers as the Dolphins.

Delaware jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter, putting Jacksonville on the back foot early in the game. The Dolphins rallied with a pair of late goals in the first. Started on the woman up where freshman Shae Hagans found senior Olivia Johnson for a goal.

Then Jacksonville incisively moved the ball around the offense before junior Jessica Giller found junior Maeve Brennan who put it away while falling to the ground. That late quarter run carried into the second where the Dolphins would tie it up.

Junior Maddie Herman slipped through a crease in the defense to start the scoring, then Hagans put away a Scruggs pass to cut the deficit to one. Giller would be the one to tie the game at five, notching her first of four goals on the day.

The Blue Hens retook the lead, but Giller was right back on the score sheet to keep the game tied at six. Freshman Paige Garguillo finished off a pass from Brennan to give JU it's first lead of the game, 7-6.

Delaware tied the game with under 20 seconds to play in the first half, setting a stalemate at halftime. 

Jacksonville punched first in the second half, taking its most commanding lead of the game halfway through the third quarter. Scruggs drove the bus for JU in this stretch, scoring three goals in less than eight minutes, with a Hagans tally sprinkled in the middle, to cap a 4-0 Dolphins run.

With JU leading 11-7, Delaware scored three-straight goals to close the third quarter and make it a one-goal game in the final quarter. 

Less than five minutes in the quarter, the Blue Hens would tie the game at 11, and they'd re-take the lead with less than nine minutes to go in the game. Giller tied things up with a free-position goal, but Delaware scored twice to take an ultimately decisive 14-12 lead.

Giller added another goal with 2:51 on the clock, but Jacksonville's final shot didn't find the net and the Blue Hens secured the win.

Game Notes

• Giller finished with five points, her third five-point games this season.
• Freshman Sophie Baer had the most productive game of her career, posting three ground balls and two caused turnovers --- both career highs. 
• The Dolphins starting attack (Hagans-Brennan-Scruggs) all recorded at least three points.

Up Next
The Dolphins will face the reigning ASUN Champion Liberty Flames Saturday at 1 PM. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.