FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Elliott Carr, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
 
Box Score

April 2., 2016 – High winds, low temperatures and flurries of snow were not able to slow down the North Central College women's lacrosse team's high-powered offense, as they defeated the Saint Mary's University Belles 18-4 on Saturday afternoon at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

On a spring day that saw some unfavorable weather conditions, the Cardinals wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, with senior Claire Norfleet scoring inside of the first 30 seconds, thanks to an assist from sophomore Kara Stevens. By the time there was 18:55 left on the clock, the Cardinals had been an impressive 6-0 lead thanks to goals from senior Gina Fisher (25:38), junior Madison Maas (24:40), junior Kassie Whaling (23:29), sophomore Kara Stevens (19:49), and then Maas again (18:55).

Saint Mary's would score with 17:03 left in the half, but any hope for a comeback was quickly squashed, as the Cardinals would race out to a 15-1 lead by halftime.

With the lead already at an insurmountable margin, the Cardinals would only need to score three times in the second half. The goals came courtesy of sophomore Emily Zadny with 28:00 minutes remaining, Fisher with 2:20 left on the clock, and Norfleet inside of the final minute.

High winds obviously make conditions for passing unfavorable, but the Cardinals ability to overcome this and score 18 goals speaks volumes of their high-octane offense and ability to execute head coach Danielle Fiala's fast-breaking game plan under pressure.

Fisher and Maas both had four goals to lead the team, followed by Whaling with three. Fisher and Mass also led the team in assists, along with Norfleet, with three apiece. The leader in groundballs was Fisher, who collected nine, followed by Perri, who had four. Norfleet and Fisher led the way with three draw controls each, while Whaling had a game high three caused turnovers.

The Cardinals have little time to rest, as they return to Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium tomorrow for the second of their second game of the weekend, when they host Wartburg College (5-5) at 1 p.m. Live stats can be accessed by clicking HERE.