(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) – The Marquette University women’s lacrosse team (5-3, 0-0 BIG EAST) wrapped up their five-game road stand with a tight 6-5 victory at Niagara (1-7, 0-0 MAAC) Saturday afternoon.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team for pulling out this win. It was an absolute defensive battle out there today. You have to give a lot of credit to their defense and their goalie—they made it incredibly difficult for us to find the back of the net. But our defense stepped up huge, causing crucial turnovers and holding them to just five goals. It was a gritty, complete team effort” head coach Meredith Black said about the win.
Hanna Bodner led the Golden Eagles with three goals on the day, while Tess Osburn, Eileen Dooley, and Sarah Beth Burns added scores for MU, including Burns’ game-winner off the free-position with 10:29 left in the contest. As a team, Marquette caused 14 turnovers, led by three from Taylor Kotschevar and two each from Osburn, Bodner, and Riley Jenkins.
Both teams had plenty of chances in the opening quarter, but neither broke through on the scoreboard leading to a 0-0 score following one quarter.
Dooley broke the scoring drought off the feed from Julia Evens, with Bodner making it 2-0 just one minute later. Osburn added a third for MU, and Bodner ended the scoring in the second with a highlight-reel low shot. The Marquette defense stood strong in the first half, causing eight turnovers with Jillian Howell stopping seven shots to keep the score at 4-0 in favor of the visitors at the half.
Niagara would open the third with a pair of goals to cut the MU lead in half, before Bodner’s third of the day made it 5-2 in favor of Marquette. The Purple Eagles would again score another pair to make it 5-4 heading into the fourth, and would knot the game at five with 12 minutes to play.
Two minutes later, Burns would bury a free-position shot into the back of the net to put MU ahead, 6-5. From there, with Mikayla Yang inserted into the goal, the Marquette defense would shine with multiple caused turnovers and a pair of clutch saves from Yang to hold on for the one-goal victory on the road.
UP NEXT
Marquette returns to Valley Fields next Saturday, March 21, hosting Georgetown in the BIG EAST opener. MU will also celebrate Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day during the game.
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