ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College field hockey team played a stronger second half, but Alvernia got ahead early and the hole was too deep to dig out of for the Blue Jays in a 5-3 loss to the Golden Wolves.

Alvernia scored three times in a little over five minutes in the first period to take a commanding 3-0 lead going into the second.

A third goal for Caroline Martin made it 4-0 in the second until Hannah Long scored 35 seconds before halftime. Elizabethtown capitalized on a late corner as Sophie Myers dished the ball back out to Long at the top of the circle. The junior fired a shot toward the left post that beat the Golden Wolves' goalie to make it 4-1.

Martin added her fourth of the game in the third, but the Blue Jays showed no quit as they outshot Alvernia 7-1 in the second half of action.

Hailey Meyer punched in a shot from eight yards out off a pass from Drew Bridges a couple minutes into the fourth quarter. Abbie Heckman poked a ball in the goal with under two minutes left to get Etown back within two.

The Jays pushed to try and carve into the deficit further, but couldn't do so as time ran out on the comeback attempt.

Elizabethtown will host Division II D'Youville on Friday, October 3, at 5 p.m.