BANNER ELK, N.C.- The Valkyries lacrosse team dropped a Conference Carolinas contest to Lees-McRae on the road 10-7 on Thursday afternoon.  Converse drops to 3-7 overall and 2-3 in league play.

Laura Starkes (Whitby, Ontario) led the Valkyries with three assists and a goal in the loss.  Elizabeth Gabriele (Simpsonville, S.C.) netted her second hat-trick of the season with three goals.  Jennifer Barksdale (Clinton, S.C.) recorded a career-high 10 groundballs.

Lees-McRae (3-5, 2-2) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes beofre Jessi Walters (Fort Mill, S.C.) netted the first goal of the contest for the Valkyries.

Elizabeth Gabriele netted the first goal of her hat-trick off the feed from Laura Starkes with 20:51 left in the first half to cut the deficit down to 3-2.  Back-to-back goals by LMC's LeCompte pushed the Bobcat lead to 5-2.

Laura Starkes found Gabriele once again followed by Aubrie Lauderdale's (Greenville, S.C.) unassisted goal but the Bobcat down to 5-4 with nine minutes left in the first half.  LMC's LeCompte added another goal to lead the Bobcats into the break up 6-4.

LMC added a goal early in the second half to give the Bobcats space at 7-4.  Brittni Jones (Lees Summit, Mo.) found the back of the net with 25:12 left in the second half.  Elizabeth Gabriele posted the hat-trick goal with 18:00 left off the dish from Laura Starkes to cut it to 7-6. 

The Bobcats pushed out to a 10-6 lead late in the second half to seal the victory.  Laura Starkes posted a goal with 2:27 left but was not enough for the Valkyries to rally as Converse drops the Conference Carolinas contest 10-7 to Lees-McRae.

LMC controlled the contest recording 14 of the 19 total draw controls.

Converse continues the road trip facing nationally ranked Limestone on the road in a Conference Carolinas contest on Tuesday, March 29.