PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's lacrosse team faced a tough challenge against D'Youville on Wednesday evening, ultimately falling 20-8. Despite strong offensive performances from Brooke McNeal and Madelyn Goodrich, who each recorded hat-tricks, the Storm's record dropped to 1-11 with five games remaining in the season.

Game Recap

D'Youville started the game aggressively, scoring six unanswered goals within the first six minutes. Lake Erie struggled to find their footing early, facing a significant deficit. While the Storm managed to match D'Youville's scoring output for the remainder of the first half, the early lead proved decisive. Rachel Rose sparked the Storm's offense, scoring their first goal with 8:24 left in the first period. Following two more D'Youville goals, Brooke McNeal added another, ending the first period with Lake Erie trailing 8-2.

The Saints continued their momentum into the second period, extending their lead to 11-2 with three consecutive goals. However, Lake Erie displayed resilience, closing the gap before halftime. Madelyn Goodrich scored two quick goals, and Reese Friesen added another, resulting in a 3-0 scoring run. The Storm entered halftime down 11-5, carrying some momentum into the second half.

Madelyn Goodrich completed her hat-trick early in the third period, scoring just 91 seconds in. However, D'Youville responded with a dominant run, scoring five straight goals and establishing a 10-goal lead, triggering a running clock. Brooke McNeal scored late in the third, making it 16-7 as the teams entered the final quarter.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed in the fourth period, as D'Youville continued their offensive surge, pushing their lead to 20. McNeal added another goal to complete her hat-trick, but it was too little, too late. D'Youville secured a 20-8 victory in Painesville.

Player Notes

• Madelyn Goodrich and Brooke McNeal continued their strong offensive performances, combining for 52 of the team's 79 goals this season. Both players recorded their fourth hat-tricks of the year.
• Reese Friesen and Rachel Rose also contributed goals, bringing their season totals to 11 and nine, respectively.
• Brooke McNeal and Reese Friesen each recorded an assist. Friesen now ties Madelyn Goodrich for the team lead with nine assists, while McNeal has seven.
• Shannon Smith led the team in ground balls with five, followed by McNeal with three. Smith now has 50 ground balls this season, the second-highest in the G-MAC.
• Shannon Smith also caused five turnovers, the most by any Lake Erie player this season.
• Reese Friesen and Madelyn Goodrich led the team in draw controls, each recording two.
• Ainsley Sutter started in goal for the Storm, but was replaced by Avery Artino, who recorded three saves. Bethany Kirkwood also saw action in the fourth period.

Team Notes

• D'Youville held a significant advantage in shots (31-19), shots on goal (21-11), and draw controls (26-6).
• Lake Erie had a slight edge in ground balls (18-16) and committed fewer turnovers (19-24).
• Both teams were efficient in clearing, with Lake Erie completing 18 of 24 attempts and D'Youville completing 14 of 17. Each team converted a free-position shot, with D'Youville going 2/3 and Lake Erie 1/3.

The Matchup

Wednesday's matchup was only the second time that these teams squared off against each other, with D'Youville emerging victorious in each. 

Looking Ahead

Lake Erie will begin a three-game road trip, starting with a match against Northwood on Friday, April 4th, at 1 PM. Northwood has a 3-6 record and is currently on a four-game losing streak, having lost to Missouri Western State (21-6), Walsh (19-3), Malone (21-16), and Findlay (17-9). Montana Chuba, a freshman, leads Northwood in goals (27) and assists (9). Freshman Danica Swistun is Northwood's goalkeeper, with a 40.6% save percentage.