North Michigan News

The NMU women's lacrosse team concluded its spring break trip with a challenging match against the No. 5 ranked Maryville Saints, resulting in an 18-4 loss. The Wildcats, now holding a record of 4-2, were limited to their lowest goal tally of the season and allowed the most goals in a single game since their previous encounter with Maryville, which ended in a 25-10 defeat last year.

Maryville has been on a strong run, boasting a 5-1 record after their initial loss to No. 1 Tampa. They have outscored opponents by an impressive margin of 68-9 over their last three games.

Avery Lorinser and Hannah Jabas led NMU with two points each. Abby Sisson contributed one goal while Sophie Langsdale provided an assist. Goalkeepers Zoe Montgomery and Lauren Esposito shared time in net; Montgomery equaled her career-best with 11 saves, while Esposito added eight.

The Wildcats faced challenges throughout the game, being outshot 41-22 and recording fewer ground balls than Maryville's 22. They also committed more turnovers compared to the Saints' ten caused turnovers.

Maryville's Natalie Tomljenovic was notable for scoring six goals, while three other players recorded four points each. Gianna Guzek made eight saves for the Saints.

Looking ahead, NMU will return home for a match against Lewis University on Saturday, March 15 at noon ET.

In terms of gameplay, despite controlling the opening possession, NMU conceded early goals to Maryville and found themselves trailing significantly by halftime with a score of 10-2. In the second half, Lorinser scored again but Maryville continued to extend their lead as the game progressed into running time due to their advantage.

The final quarter saw Jabas scoring on a free position shot but NMU was unable to close the gap as Maryville secured additional goals before concluding with an 18-4 victory.