LA VERNE – Despite a late rally that cut the deficit to one goal, the University of La Verne women's water polo team lost, 8-7, to St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday at the Las Flores Park.

Down 7-3 after the third quarter, Catie Tuning and Lora Marquez-Salgado scored three unanswered goals in the fourth to get the Leopards within a goal with 2:43 left in the game.

But Samantha Khalil added an insurance goal for St. Francis with 20 seconds to go and that proved to be enough as time ran out on La Verne.

Megan Little added a late goal for the Leopards with three seconds left.

Jacqueline Rojas, who started in the cage for the second game in a row, kept the Leopards in the game with 10 saves.

Amber Tardif initiated the scoring for the Leopards finding the net about 45 seconds into the game. But the Terriers grabbed the lead on goals Khalil and Bernadett Laszio and never gave it up the rest of the game.

Marquez-Salgado and Tuning finished with two goals each. Little, Tardif and Sarah Jefferis had one apiece.

Laszio led all scorers with four goals and Khalil finished with three for the Terriers.

La Verne returns to action on Wednesday when it opens its conference schedule against Pomona-Pitzer at 11 a.m. at the Las Flores Park.