INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy women's lacrosse stifled Findlay University Tuesday evening, advancing to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals with a 13-7 victory inside Key Stadium.
The Greyhounds (13-4) employed a pesky defense against the Oilers (7-11), causing 12 of Findlay's 18 turnovers - led by redshirt-freshman
Lauren Wagner's five CTs - and keeping the visitors scoreless during one 20-plus-minute stretch of game time.
It marked the fifth straight game the nation's eighth-best scoring defense held an opponent to seven goals or less.
Offensively, senior
Chalane Morrison again proved to be the catalyst, totaling eight points with four goals and as many assists. Freshman
Grace Gunneson (three goals) and sophomore
Hannah Burczyk (two goals, one assist) each finished with three points.
After more than six minutes of scoreless action, UIndy broke the scoring seal with two quick goals. Burczyk delivered the first on a free position score, and Morrison notched her first less than a minute later.
Much as they had in Sunday's regular season finale, the Oilers went step-for-step the Hounds in the opening period. An early hat trick by Findlay's Allison Kelly helped keep the visitors in the contest.
Sophomore
Hana Priddy scored a man-up goal on Morrison's first assist with a little less than 18 minutes on the clock, but over the next few possessions the Oilers took their first lead of the evening, 4-3. Findlay grabbed five of the game's first seven draw controls to help its cause.
Findlay's fourth goal came right under the 16-minute mark, but its fifth wouldn't come until almost five minutes into the second period.
UIndy began dominating the draw control – finishing the half by possessing six of the last seven – and ultimately ran off five unanswered to take the lead for good.
Morrison had two during the stretch, while Gunneson, Burczyk and senior
Erika Mackenzie each added one of their own, making it 8-4 at the half.
The Hounds would make it six straight with Gunneson's goal to open the second half before Findlay finally put an end to the drought with Ciara Burud's score, making it 9-5.
Findlay wouldn't get any closer, as UIndy surrendered only two more scores while adding four more of its own for good measure.
Sophomore
Sarah Konecny got in on the action off a feed from junior
Anna Rulapaugh, and Morrison, Mackenzie and Gunneson each tallied goals before the final horn sounded.
The Oilers finished the game with 18 turnovers and only 12 shots, compared to 10 and 32 for the Hounds, respectively. Ground balls were split at an even 17 apiece, but the Hounds wound up with 14 of 22 draw controls.
Wagner was one of several defenders to make an impact, recording career-bests with five ground balls and five caused turnovers. Freshman
Riley McClure totaled three caused turnovers, two ground balls and a draw control.
Morrison and Priddy each finished with three draw controls, with Rulapaugh, Gunneson and freshman
Micayla Gammon totaling two each.
Sophomore
Irene Carlquist improved to 5-0 this season, turning aside two shots in nearly 57 minutes in-goal.
UIndy meets two-seed McKendree Friday in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals, hosted by Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich. Stay tuned for an updated game time.