CEDAR RAPIDS, Mich. – With two of their team leaders out of the game with two yellow cards, the (2) Raven Women's Lacrosse team stepped up their defensive efforts over the final 12 minutes of the game to hold off a second-half push by (3) University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) as Benedictine advanced to the title game of the 2019 NAIA Lacrosse National Invitational.
Benedictine (17-0) was outshot for the first time this season, but keeper Taryn St. Louis was up to the challenge as she anchored the Ravens defense with 17 saves as the Ravens earned the 14-10 win over the Patriots.
The first half was all Benedictine. Despite being whistled for 20 fouls in the first half, the Ravens adjusted and scored nine straight over the final 20 minutes of the half to take a 9-0 lead into the break. Emily Ruhland scored the first goal of the game for the Ravens off an assist from Mary McEnerney with 20:28 left in the half.
Benedictine finished the first half with a 12-7 advantage in shots as St. Louis finished the half with five saves to keep the Patriots scoreless.
Aiden McEnerney scored the first goal of the second half for the Ravens just 52 seconds into the half to kick in the running clock. Natalie Wechter scored two more goals for the Ravens to give them a 12-3 advantage before Cumberlands rattled off five straight to pull within four with just under nine minutes left to play.
Cumberlands played 19 minutes of the game where they were up at least one player, and yet only converted 2 of 11 on extra-man opportunities as the Ravens were able to fight off the penalties and keep the Patriots from scoring.
For the first time this season an opponent outshot the Ravens as the Patriots finished with a 32-25 advantage. St. Louis finished with 17 saves – 12 of which came in the second half – to earn the win in goal for the Ravens and help send Benedictine into the National Invitational title game.
Wechter finished with a game-high six goals for the Ravens. Aiden McEnerney and Mary McEnerney added two goals while Kacey Moore, Molly Muehlebach and Clare Ryan joined Ruhland with one goal each. Ryan and Mary McEnerney finished with two assists each while Wechter, Muehlebach and Ruhland added one each.
Benedictine forced Cumberlands into 32 turnovers as they finished with 18 caused turnovers. Muehlebach and Aiden McEnerney led the way with three caused turnovers while Ryan, Moore, Megan Ostrander and Riley Etter added two each.
The Ravens were the first women's team to punch their ticket to the title game as they await the winner of the (1) SCAD-Savannah vs. (5) Kaiser (Fla.). The title game will be played at 7:30 p.m. EST (6:30 CST) from the Aquinas College campus.
