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

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Mar. 11, 2017) – In a game of runs, unity and composure down the stretch were key as the North Central College women's lacrosse team defeated the Adrian College Bulldogs 14-11, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference matchup.

Adrian tested North Central immediately out of the gate, scoring the first goal of the game just 49 seconds after the opening whistle. The Cardinals would bounce back, as senior Kassie Whaling was the recipient of an assist from senior Anicia Mattingly.

Junior Alex Branum of the Bulldogs would then take an advantage of a free-position shot with 21:48 remaining to give the Adrian, but freshman Christina Truver utilized her blazing speed to level the score with 18:23 left in the half. The Bulldogs would then take what would be their final lead of the game with 14:52 on the clock, capitalizing on another free-position shot.

In response to the early adversity, North Central went on an 8-0 run to end the half, with their quickness and unselfishness proving to be too much for Adrian to handle. Through the Cardinals' dominant stretch, senior Jordyn McFarlane, senior Madison Maas, freshman Jessica Deetjen, junior Emily Zadny, and Whaling all contributed goals. North Central appeared to be in the driver's seat heading into halftime, holding a 10-3 lead.

Out of halftime, North Central picked up where they left off, as Mattingly assisted a McFarlane goal with 27:16 left to play. What followed was a piece of individual brilliance from Truver, obtaining the draw control then flying down the field and evading multiple defenders on route to scoring an emphatic goal with 26:55 on the clock.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it would be the Bulldogs who then went on a hot streak as they would go on a 6-0 run, bridging the gap and putting pressure on North Central to finish the game out strong.

With 11:32 remaining, Maas scored a timely goal courtesy of an assist of an assist from freshman Nelle Scranton. It was Maas' fourteenth goal in only four games. Refusing to lie down, Adrian responded with two goals of their own, bringing the score to 13-11 with only 6:51 remaining.

Thanks to their pass-first mentality, North Central were able to dominate possession in the final minutes of the game, denying Adrian any chance to bring the ball into their half of the field and attempt to score. This show of composure in a high-pressure situation was bright spot for the young Cardinals and a positive sign going forward.

The icing on the cake for head coach Danielle Fiala and North Central was when Whaling scored thanks to an assist from Truver with 48 seconds remaining in the game, bringing the score to 14-11 and sealing the Bulldogs' fate.

In a matchup that pushed the Cardinals to their limit, everyone on the team stepped up and played their role. Whaling's four goals led the team in that category, while Maas along with McFarlane added three apiece. Mattingly and Scranton both contributed two assists, while McFarlane,  freshman Paige Nadherny and Truver led the team in ground balls with three each.

On the defensive end, freshman Mynk Richardson-Clerk was the leader in caused turnovers with three, with Mattingly, Deetjen, Nadherny and freshman Rebecca Claussen all contributed two. Sophomore Abigail Leers saved five shots, senior Kat Schultz saved three, while sophomore Camille Seghesio saved one.

The Cardinals have a week to rest and recover before returning to Benedetti-Wehri Stadium on Saturday, Mar. 18 when they look to continue their undefeated start to the season in a non-conference matchup against the DePauw University Tigers. Game time is 2:00 P.M., and live stats can be accessed by clicking HERE.