Eleven points for Lakosky, eight points for Lorinser
ALLENDALE, Mich. — The Wildcats advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Championship game and will face the Grand Valley State Lakers for the fourth consecutive season thanks to a 15-7 win over the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears.
The ‘Cats were led by the GLIAC Attacker of the Year and All-GLIAC First Team attackers Josie Lakosky and Avery Lorinser. Lakosky scored five goals and six assists for 11 points, while Lorinser paced the field with a career-best six goals while adding a pair of assists for eight points.
“It’s special to have two attackers who are in the same [grade level], have grown up and spent a lot of time together, they know how to play off of each other and feed the other [really well]. Josie obviously draws so much attention, but honestly, that makes Avery play even better because they can create off of each other. They’re both moving so well right now, it’s really cool to see.”
The GVSU Lacrosse Field on the campus of Grand Valley State, which plays host to the tournament, provided challenging weather conditions for this evening’s match: the sun remained hidden behind cloud cover, temperatures barely got above 40 degrees, and blustery winds that featured a brief snow flurry proved difficult for teams to move the ball early.
It was a low-scoring affair to start the match; the first quarter ended 0-0, and the first half ended 4-2, the lowest halftime score that the GVSU field saw this season.
The Golden Bears evened the game at 4-4 early in the start of the half and had a man-up opportunity on the ensuing possession, and all the momentum was in the favor of the Golden Bears to start the second half.
Natalie Thomas caused a crucial turnover that she spearheaded the other way for a Wildcat goal. What could have been a 4-5 deficit was then turned into a 6-0 run that spanned the rest of the third quarter for NMU, and the ‘Cats held a commanding 10-4 lead going into the fourth quarter.
“Natalie has been so incredible this year. She’s really taken off and has been able to cause turnovers when we need them. That was such a huge moment, and it’s really hard to kill penalties, especially against teams like CSP that shoot a lot. Defense creates offense, and [our whole defensive group] did a great job all game shutting down their best players. A big turnover like that, leading to a fast break goal, is really cool.”
Thomas earned Second-Team All-GLIAC honors before the opening draw. Midfielder Taylor Roberts and goalkeeper Lauren Esposito landed with Thomas on the second team, and defender Sophie Langsdale and midfielder Katelyn Wozney earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention nods.
Roberts played her crucial role in the draw circle, winning four herself and causing a turnover on the day. Esposito made six saves (.462 SV%) and stood tall between the pipes to keep the ‘Cats alive when they needed it the most. Langsdale led the team with three caused turnovers and four assists, and Wozney added two ground balls in the midfield.
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How It Happened
It was a discombobulated first quarter for both teams, as neither team was able to settle into a groove; the Golden Bears and ‘Cats turned the ball over a combined 16 times, including three failed clears for CSP and two for NMU. Lorinser was the only player to produce a shot on target for either team, with NMU at five and CSP at six shot attempts.
After a scoreless first period, Lorinser found the back after a great individual effort just 42 seconds into the second frame, giving NMU a 1-0 lead on the game’s second shot on target. On the ‘Cats next possession, Lorinser made a perfect pass to Evita Weiche from behind the net, and NMU doubled its lead just 45 seconds later. The Golden Bears cut into the lead, but Lakosky found Lorinser in a perfect position to turn and fire, regaining the two-goal cushion. Lakosky fired a blistering shot with just under a minute to go in the first half, and the ‘Cats would carry a 4-2 lead into halftime, the lowest halftime score the GVSU Lacrosse field has seen this season.
The Golden Bears escaped an early yellow card and cut back into the Wildcat lead moments after the penalty expired, and two and a half minutes into the second half. The Golden Bears evened the score, and NMU was booked for a green card on the ensuing faceoff, giving CSP a prime opportunity to take a lead. Natalie Thomas made a crucial interception in front of the Wildcat net and sprung Katelyn Wozney the other way as the penalty was expiring, leading to Lakosky finding Lorinser to complete her hat-trick and reclaim the NMU lead. Lorinser added her fourth tally on the man advantage just 30 seconds later, and Lakosky caught the goalie out of position to give NMU a three-goal advantage, forcing CSP to use a timeout. Hannah Grimm made an exceptional play to keep the ball in the Wildcat attacking zone as she flipped a pass to Lakosky, who fired a pass to Lorinser on the back post, and the ‘Cats were up 8-4 thanks to Lorinser’s fifth of the game. Lakosky completed her hat-trick before finding Abby Sisson, and the ‘Cats took a commanding 10-4 lead going into the fourth quarter.
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Lakosky hit her 100th goal of the season early in the fourth quarter, becoming the first Wildcat in program history to eclipse the 100-goal plateau before finding Grimm on a cut, and the ‘Cats were up seven goals with just under 12 minutes to go in the final frame. Lorinser connected with Hannah Jabas as she scored her first of the game, goalkeeper Lauren Esposito made some crucial saves down the stretch, and Lakosky added another goal to her name to take a 14-7 lead with time expiring in the fourth.
Up Next
The Wildcats now face the hosts, Grand Valley State, in the GLIAC Championship on Sunday, May 3, at noon ET.
