COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Playing in their final home game of the season, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's lacrosse team completed the series sweep over Fort Lewis College Sunday afternoon, 15-9. Prior to today's match, the Mountain Lions honored their eight departing seniors:
Natalie Church Hannah Koopal,
Sydney Malcolm,
Hannah Mill,
Morgan Miller,
Audrey Napp,
Holly Sodomka and
Regan Olson.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: UCCS 15, Fort Lewis 9
- Records: UCCS (10-5, 7-3 RMAC) | FLC (4-11, 4-7 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Mountain Lion Stadium | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions have won the last five games against FLC to take a 5-2 all-time series lead.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After missing on several opportunities to score goals, the Mountain Lions ultimately snagged a 2-0 lead and never looked back as they never trailed against the Skyhawks. Angela Naughton connected with Hannah Mill at 6:33 in the opening quarter for the first goal of the game. The duo copied the score with another connection less than two minutes later.
- FLC's Ellie Martinez knotted the game with back-to-back unassisted goals in the final 92 seconds of the quarter to tie the game at 2-2. With two goals under her belt, Mill registered her first assist of the game to Regan Olson with just two seconds left on the clock to close out the first period with a UCCS lead, 3-2.
- Natalie Church opened the second quarter with her first goal s of the game at 12:52 and added another goal just a minute later from Mill's assist. Holly Sodomka extended UCCS' lead to 6-2 on a free-position goal with less than 10 minutes left in the half. Patrick, Mill (free-position goal) and Church each found the back of the net one more time as the Mountain Lions headed into halftime with an 8-4 lead.
- Church recorded a hat trick with her third goal of the game less than three minutes into the second half. FLC answered with back-to-back free-position goals, but a string of four straight goals from Church, Patrick and two goals from Sodomka resulted in the Mountain Lions largest lead of the game, 13-6, with 10 minutes left in regulation.
- Church's player-up goal at the 4:01 mark in the third quarter proved to be the game-winning goal for the Mountain Lions. She added a free-position goal with 3:24 remaining in the game before Audrey Napp sealed the win with her goal at 2:13, leading UCCS to a 15-9 victory.
GAME STATISTICS
- Church led all scorers with five goals and two assists. She added eight shots and a team high seven shots on goal while picking up three ground balls, winning three draws and causing two turnovers.
- Mill attempted a game high nine shots to go with her three goals and two assists.
- Olson and Madison McGriff picked up a game high five ground balls. Olson chipped in six shots and a goal. McGriff earned her eighth win of the season in goal and caused a game high three turnovers and made 10 saves.
- Napp and Julia Patrick combined to win 13 draws as Napp clipped a game high seven draws.
- Ellie Martinez scored four of FLC's nine goals while attempting a team high six shots. Goalie Averi Basso made 16 saves and allowed 15 goals and added a team high four ground balls.
- UCCS outshot the Skyhawks by 15, 42-27, and picked up 12 more ground balls, 34-22. The Mountain Lions were successful on all 17 clear attempts as FLC made 21-of-23 clears, while 18 of the 28 draws went in favor of the Mountain Lions.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Church's five goals matches a season high for her as she has now notched five hat tricks this season while recording at least one point in all 13 games.
- Today's hat trick for Sodomka was her first of the season while Mill notched her fifth hat trick of the year.
- Church took over the top spot in the program record book for most points scored by a Mountain Lion in a season. She now has 56 points in 2022, bettering her previous record of 55 points set in 2018.
- McGriff is second all-time for most saves in a season while her eight wins are the most victories in goal by any Mountain Lion. McGriff has made 109 saves this season, trailing the top spot set by Emma Becker in 2018 (133 saves).
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will play their final games of the regular season next weekend on the road. UCCS will travel to Colorado Mesa University on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. match at Westminster College on Saturday, April 30.
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
