INDIANAPOLIS – A four-hour lightning delay and the GLIAC's top team couldn't slow down UIndy women's lacrosse Friday night, as the Greyhounds defeated visiting Tiffin University 9-7 in Key Stadium.

It took nearly six hours to complete, but Friday's conference showdown was crucial for UIndy, which improved to 11-4 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC with the win. It secures homefield advantage in the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament, beginning next Tuesday.

Tiffin entered as the last undefeated team in the conference and the sixth-ranked team in the NCAA North Region – and was riding a 10-game winning streak – but fell to 11-4 overall and 5-1 in the penultimate regular season game.

UIndy began and ended the first half on high notes, starting with the game's first goal more than seven minutes into play. Freshman Grace Gunneson took advantage of a free position with her 28th goal of the season, putting the Hounds up 1-0.

Junior Anna Rulapaugh followed soon after with a free position goal of her own, marking an even 40 goals for the campaign.

The visiting Dragons would eventually get on the board, scoring three unanswered within a three-plus-minute span to take their first lead of the day.

A yellow card from Tiffin's Morgan Sherley on the next possession gave UIndy a woman-up opportunity, which Gunneson took advantage of. She rolled off a screen and was wide open for her second goal off a feed from sophomore Hannah Burczyk.

Sherley netted a free position goal to put Tiffin up, but not long after Burczyk found the back of the net to level the score, 4-4.

Among a handful of skillful first-half goals from the Hounds, freshman Riley McClure delivered perhaps the most notable. After gaining possession on the defensive side of the field, she traversed some 70+-plus yards, wrapped around the goal and whipped home her seventh goal of the season, making it 5-4.

Gunneson completed her hat trick near the two-minute mark off an assist by Rulapaugh, pushing the Hounds' lead back up to two goals heading into the locker rooms.

Tiffin wasted little time answering the bell to open the second period, scoring 40 seconds into the half to halve the deficit. The Dragons' Amanda Flotteron then scored two minutes later to make it 6-all.

As the forecast predicted, rain soon fell heavy on Key Stadium. Eventually, lightning came into play, signaling a delay that lasted from 5:22 until 9:10 p.m.

Once play resumed under the lights at Key, Tiffin scored a on a woman-up opportunity to take a 7-6 lead.

Mistakes and an aggressive Greyhound defense eventually cost the Dragons, however, as the visitors had seven turnovers and zero goals in the final 20 minutes of the period. Reserve goalie Irene Carlquist was a major part of that effort, finishing with two clutch saves and no goals allowed.

Senior Chalane Morrison tied the game at 7-7 with her first goal of the night, and sophomore Hana Priddy got in on the action with an unassisted score minutes later on a strong drive down the middle of the 8-meter arc.

Rulapaugh's free position goal near the six-minute mark – paired with the aforementioned UIndy defense – was enough to seal the victory.

Gunneson and Rulapaugh each had three points, and Burczyk followed with two.

McClure was all over the field in Friday's win, finishing with four draw controls and three caused turnovers to go with her goal.

Freshman Kelly Pinkerton had four of UIndy's 17 ground balls, followed by senior Erika Mackenzie's and Morrison's three apiece.

UIndy had only 11 turnovers to Tiffin's 15, and also finished with 10 more shots while completing 14 of 14 clears.

The Hounds will close the regular season Sunday, hosting Findlay at 12 p.m. ET. UIndy will celebrate the careers of Morrison and Mackenzie as part of Senior Day prior to the game.