GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-- The Madonna University women's lacrosse team made their first postseason appearance in program history on Tuesday, playing in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament quarterfinals. In a hard-fought game, the Crusaders fell to Aquinas College (Mich.), by a score of 15-18.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Crusaders and the Saints drew even in the first quarter, with back and forth action resulting in a 4-4 tie. Makennah Blackman and Keira Courtney each scored two goals for the Crusaders in the first. By midway through the second quarter, Blackman had added two more tallies for Madonna, followed by Sydney Pattinson. The Crusaders trailed 10-7 heading into halftime. 

The Crusaders came out of the second half on fire, scoring four unanswered goals to open the third quarter and take an 11-10 lead. Lilly McKee scored the first, followed by two from Brittney Leist and another from Courtney, all within the first four minutes and fifteen seconds of the period. From there, however, Aquinas would score seven in a row, to put them ahead 17-11. 

The Crusaders fought hard late in the fourth quarter, with Aria Gettel scoring three goals, and Taylor Vitori adding one. The late push was not enough, as Aquinas would win the game 18-15, and advance to the WHAC semifinals. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Blackman - 4 goals, 1 assist, 8 ground balls

• Courtney, Gettel - 3 goals each

• 8 wins this season marks most in program history

• Christy Battersby and Leist exit the program as the #1 and #2 points leaders in Crusader history

UP NEXT:

This concludes the season for the Crusaders, and we will see you next year for the 2023 season!

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