Contact: Tyler Bremner, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Mar. 23, 2025 – As the rain set in the second half, the North Central College women's lacrosse team found themselves on the wrong end of an 8-4 surge from the Whitworth University Pirates for a 12-8 final score in their second loss of the 2025 campaign.

North Central (5-2) started strong with the first two goals of the game off free position shots between Abby MacKenzie and Rachel Lawrence in the first seven minutes. Whitworth (3-3) retaliated with a set of goals themselves four minutes later between Sierra Witte and Keira Paulus to tie the game. In a last-ditch effort in the final ten seconds, Annelise Oster put the Cardinals back on top to end the period at 3-2.

The Pirates quickly scored a pair of goals in the first three minutes of the second period with Campbell Vincent and Megan Whitman sneaking shots past Alyssa Rose in the net. With Whitworth back ahead at 4-3, MacKenzie didn't idle scoring two minutes later to tie it up. The next ten minutes saw a defensive slog with Sage Fosnock in net for the Pirates fending off shots from Oster and MacKenzie to halt the score at 4-4 into halftime.

The rain began to set in after halftime, with both team's defenses finding their footing over the first three minutes. Oster began the scoring with her second goal of the match to put North Central ahead 5-4. The Pirates found the energy to go on a 4-3 scoring run over the final eight minutes of the period with Cardinal scores from MacKenzie, Anna Williamson, and Lucy Culig to tie the game at 8-8.

The final period saw Whitworth pull away on an answered four-goal run as the Cardinal offense couldn't find their footing sealing the final score at 12-8.

Offensively, MacKenzie led the team with three goals off of four shots while Tori Leonard led the defense with a caused turnover and a groundball. Rose secured the net for most of the action in 55 minutes with five saves.

The Cardinals head back on the road traveling to Notre Dame, Indiana to face Saint Mary's College on Wednesday. Access the full schedule HERE.

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