North Michigan News

The Northern Michigan women's lacrosse team experienced a narrow loss to Grand Valley State Lakers, with the match concluding at 12-11 in overtime. The Wildcats initially dominated, leading after the first two quarters; however, the Lakers staged a comeback, ultimately securing the victory.

The Wildcats maintained a strong performance throughout the game. In the initial half, Northern Michigan outpaced Grand Valley with a score of 6-4. This marked their highest-scoring first half against the Lakers and set a record for fewest goals allowed in an opening half against Grand Valley.

The Lakers found their stride in the latter part of the game, outscoring the Wildcats 5-2 in the final 20 minutes to level the game and force overtime. Wildcats' goalkeeper Zoe Montgomery managed two crucial saves in the overtime before Grand Valley State sealed their win.

Josie Lakosky led the Wildcats' offense, scoring a double hat-trick. Maddi Bast contributed a hat-trick, marking her 100th career point during the first quarter. Sophie Langsdale and Taylor Priestley added goals to further bolster Northern's score. Montgomery's efforts in goal included vital saves throughout the match, totaling eight defense-critical plays.

Northern Michigan outshot Grand Valley 26-24 and had 15 goals on target compared to the Lakers' 13. The Wildcats led in ground balls 10-7 and caused turnovers 5-3. Both teams' goalkeepers made eight saves each, with Grand Valley achieving a perfect clearance rate against Northern's 12 of 13.

The game began with Grand Valley scoring first, shortly followed by a goal from Lakosky to level the scores. Bast then scored her milestone 100th career point, placing the Wildcats ahead. The first quarter concluded with a strong 4-1 lead for Northern Michigan.

The Wildcats continued to build their lead at the start of the second quarter with Lakosky's hat-trick goal. Grand Valley attempted a comeback but Northern maintained the upper hand with Bast's scoring. Despite Grand Valley's efforts, NMU recorded program-best performances.

Into the third quarter, Bast completed her hat-trick, while Priestley added her first goal, maintaining Northern's lead. Grand Valley responded but the Wildcats found themselves with a slim lead at the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter saw a head-to-head exchange, culminating with Lakosky's sixth goal before Grand Valley brought the scores level. The game entered overtime, where Grand Valley's final goal clinched victory with only a minute remaining.