ATCHISON, Kan. – In a rematch of one of its closest games all season, Missouri Baptist Women's Lacrosse fell in heartbreaking fashion 10-9 to St. Ambrose University (SAU) in the semifinals of the KCAC women's lacrosse conference tournament.
No. 8 Missouri Baptist (10-4, 7-1 KCAC) fought an uphill battle from behind all game in a physical contest with No. 9 St. Ambrose (12-3, 6-2 KCAC). The Spartans clawed their way back into the game slowly but surely only to fall one goal short of forcing overtime.
The Fighting Bees came out strong and scored the first four goals of the tilt.
MacKaylee Miller was the one to erase the zero from MBU's end of the scoreboard. The freshman's score at 11:43 remaining in the second quarter was enough to jumpstart the Mobap offense, which had been stagnant to that point and only managed one first period shot.
Graduate Senior
Ashley Avery then quickly made it 4-2 with a goal assisted on by attacker
Lydia Cornett 23 seconds later, but SAU would fend off the momentum shift. Following that score, the two semifinalists took turns rattling the cage to the tune of three goals for each side and a 5-5 second quarter score in a hotly contested offensive back-and-forth. Senior
Jordan Haeusser registered two of her three points. The Bees went into the break ahead 7-5.
MBU were outscored in the third period 2-1 as SAU took advantage on two man-up opportunities following Spartan yellow cards were assessed to Haeusser and junior
Kamryn Bell. The two Bees goals were sandwiched by Miller notching her second of the contest bring the deficit back to two, but the Spartans had work to do in the final period trailing 9-6.
The final SAU goal, and one that proved to be the game winner, was slotted home by Bees leading scorer Delaney Austad (three goals) with just under 13 minutes left, putting Mobap in another four-goal hole. The Spartans found a rhythm on offense again at the right time to make it a game with scores from Bell, midfielder
Chayleb Deves, and Haeusser, who secured her hat trick with 8:54 remaining in regulation. That was all the scoring that would take place, as the Bees defense solidified and kept MBU from tying the game and force overtime.
Other notable MBU performances included
Amelia Shaw (ten saves),
Loryn Dotson (four ground balls, three caused turnovers), and
Brianna Fischer (one goal).
Missouri Baptist finishes its season with the same number of wins as 2021 at 10, but misses out on a chance to avenge its loss to Benedictine in the KCAC women's lacrosse championship final and will await its fate at the possibility of playing in the NAIA women's lacrosse national championship hanging in the balance.
