THE BASICS

Score: Madonna University 12, Columbia College 16
Records: Madonna (0-1, 0-0 WHAC), Columbia (1-0, 0-0 KCAC)
Location: Columbia Lacrosse Fields, Columbia, Mo. 

COLUMBIA, Mo. -  In the season opener, the Madonna University Men's Lacrosse team's fourth-quarter surge was not enough to defeat the No. 4 Columbia University (Mo.) Cougars as it fell 16-12 at the CU Lacrosse Field.

Madonna jumped out to an early 3-2 lead from back-to-back goals by junior Cole Gingell and junior Ian Rush at the 6:03 mark in the first quarter. Junior Jordan Davis was able to knot things up at four apiece before the Cougars notched another one at the end of the quarter. 

Columbia came out firing in the second and third frames, going on a 5-0 scoring run through each 15 before Madonna finally cracked one in the net behind Gingell's second of the day. The Cougars took four more going up 14-7 at the end of the third as freshman Teddy White put another on the board for Madonna.

White, senior Harry Dyson, and Rush's attempts at a late comeback in the fourth quarter could not close the 16-12 gap at the end of regulation.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Four Crusaders found themselves in the scoring column as Gingell led the way with four, Rush and Dyson each took three, and both White and Davis notched one. 
• Between the posts, freshman Jeff Varner amassed ten saves in the loss.

UP NEXT

• The Crusaders will return home for its next game on Friday, March 5 at 1:00 p.m. as it takes on Midland University (Neb.) at the MU Soccer and Lacrosse Field. 

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