Marian and Lawrence Tech Conclude Seasons at NAIA Women's Lacrosse National Championship

Marian University and Lawrence Tech University represented the WHAC at the NAIA Women's Lacrosse National Championship in Decatur, Ala. Both the Knights and the Blue Devils saw their season come to a close in the first round, concluding a pair of stellar seasons. 

No. 1 Benedictine (Kan.) def. No. 8 Lawrence Tech 24-4 | Box Score

Benedictine (KS) took control early and never lost it Monday morning, scoring seven times in the first quarter and building a 15-1 halftime lead on the way to a 24-4 nonconference lacrosse win over Lawrence Tech at Jack Allen Complex in Decatur, Ala. The decisive stretch came in the opening half, when Benedictine turned draw control wins and efficient finishing into a multi-goal cushion that kept growing through the break.

Kaylen Moore opened the scoring at 13:08 of the first quarter after a draw control, and Lile Chekas added another at 8:32 as Benedictine moved ahead 2-0. Alexa Hildenbrand scored off a Moore assist to make it 4-0, and Mackenna Hill's late goal sent Benedictine to the second quarter with a 7-1 lead. Lawrence Tech's first response came from Bella Louwerse at the 2:55 mark of the first, trimming the deficit to 5-1, but Benedictine answered quickly and carried the momentum into the next quarter.

The home side widened the gap in the second. Lorelei Siegel scored early in the quarter for an 8-1 lead, Emma Rushing followed at 10:48, and Moore struck again with nine seconds left before halftime to push the margin to 15-1. Benedictine finished with 24 goals on 35 shots, including 32 shots on goal, while also holding advantages in ground balls, 16-9, and draw controls, 18-9. The hosts were also clean in transition, converting all 14 of their clear attempts.

Siegel led Benedictine with six goals. Chekas and Rushing each scored four times, Moore posted three goals and three assists, and Hildenbrand added two goals and five assists. Moore also made an impact beyond the scoring column with five ground balls and 10 draw controls. Regan Engle scored twice, including a man-up goal at 12:43 of the fourth quarter, one of Benedictine's 24 scores and its lone power-play goal.

Lawrence Tech found a few scoring moments in the second half. Chekas opened the third quarter to make it 16-1, then Morgan Waligora scored at 10:09 of the period off an assist from Alyson Walendzak. Louwerse added two more goals in the fourth quarter and finished with three of Lawrence Tech's four goals. Walendzak recorded two assists for LTU. As a team, Lawrence Tech finished with 15 shots, 12 on goal, and completed 12 of 21 clear attempts.

In goal, Benedictine's Molly Owen played the full 60 minutes and made eight saves while allowing four goals. Lawrence Tech split time between Madison Gugala, who recorded eight saves and allowed 17 goals in 40:40, and Bella Faz, who allowed seven goals in 19:20. Rushing closed the scoring with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter on an assist from Hildenbrand, setting the final margin at 24-4. Attendance was 101, and Colena Lord officiated the match.

No. 3 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) def. No. 6 Marian 14-10 | Box Score

SCAD Savannah broke open a tie game with a decisive third quarter and beat Marian (IN) 14-10 on Monday night at the Jack Allen Complex in Decatur, Ala. After both teams traded goals through an even first quarter, SCAD used a 5-2 edge in the third to create separation and held off Marian the rest of the way.

The game was tied 4-4 after the first quarter, but not before both sides made runs. SCAD scored the first three goals, including an early strike from Karley Holland and a man-up goal by Lilah Herold that made it 3-0 at the 11:57 mark. Marian answered with four straight goals. Taleah Nool started the response, Delaney Koles tied it at 3-3 with 3:14 left, and Rylie Boezeman gave Marian a 4-3 lead on a man-up chance with 2:46 remaining. SCAD answered before the quarter ended when McKinsey Brown scored with 1:15 left to even it again.

SCAD regained control in the second quarter and never led by more than two before halftime. Herold scored at 13:17 for a 5-4 lead, and Ellen Benintendi followed with a goal off an assist from Annise Berkeley to make it 6-4. Marian stayed within reach behind another man-up goal from Koles and Allyson Cissell's score off a Nool assist, cutting the margin to 7-6. SCAD still carried that one-goal lead into the break.

The decisive stretch came in the third. Berkeley opened the quarter to push SCAD ahead 8-6, but Marian answered again on Ella Grace Giedd's man-up free-position goal and Alex Dean's man-up finish, trimming the deficit to 9-8 with 6:23 left. SCAD responded immediately. Benintendi scored at 5:52, Holland added another at 2:33 off a Benintendi assist, and Benintendi struck again at 1:11 after another assist from Berkeley to give SCAD a 12-8 advantage entering the fourth.

Benintendi led SCAD's balanced attack with six goals and three assists, while Holland and Herold scored three goals apiece. Berkeley added one goal and three assists. Marian was paced by Nool, who finished with three goals and three assists, while Dean and Koles each scored twice. SCAD also held advantages in shots, 38-25, shots on goal, 28-16, ground balls, 32-22, and draw controls, 14-11. SCAD cleared 17 of 21 chances, while Marian finished 14 of 26 on clears.

In goal, Chloe Zundel made six saves for SCAD, while Marian's Aniyah Jones kept her team in the game with 14 saves despite the loss. Marian's extra-player execution helped keep pressure on SCAD, with five power-play goals, but SCAD's offense generated enough chances to withstand it. Dean scored early in the fourth to bring Marian within 12-9, but Benintendi added goals at 3:55 and 1:16 to seal it before Nool scored the final goal with 47 seconds left. Attendance was 143, and Colena Lord was the official.