(ALLENDALE, Mich., May 6)—The McKendree University women's lacrosse team saw its 2018 season come to an end Sunday afternoon with a 21-13 loss to the University of Indianapolis in the championship contest of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in Allendale, Mich.
 
The Bearcats -- who were the No. 4 seed in the four-team field and upset No. 13-ranked and host Grand Valley State University on Friday – held a 9-8 lead with just over six minutes left in the first half of Sunday's match. However, Indianapolis, ranked No. 12 in the latest IWLCA Division II poll and the No. 2 seed in the GLIAC Tournament, scored the final four goals of the first half and netted the first three tallies of the second period to take the lead for good.
 
McKendree, which was the defending GLIAC Tournament champion, closes its campaign with an overall record of 9-10. The Bearcats' loss on Sunday was just their second in its final nine contests of 2018.  
 
Senior attacker Paige Salthouse (St. Louis, MO/Ursuline Academy) led McKendree with five goals against Indianapolis. Senior attacker Dana DiPasquale (St. Charles, MO/Barat Academy) helped out with three goals, an assist and three draw controls. Freshman midfielder Rylee Skachenko (Oceanside, CA/Carlsbad) added two goals as junior attacker Emily Nelson (Deephaven, MN/Holy Family Catholic) registered a match-leading eight draw controls.
 
Indianapolis (16-3) held a 4-2 lead in the early stages of the first half before McKendree used goals from DiPasquale and junior attacker Hannah Sugarman (Holden, MA/Wachusett Regional) to pull even at 4-4. After the Greyhounds scored twice to regain a 6-4 lead, the Bearcats answered right back with four straight tallies to build an 8-6 advantage. DiPasquale, Salthouse and senior attacker Mia Fiore (Eureka, MO/Eureka High School) each scored unassisted goals before Salthouse took a pass from Fiore and found the back of the net at the 10:31 mark of the first half to help the Bearcats build a two-goal cushion.
 
Once again, UIndy knotted the score with back-to-back goals to draw even with McKendre at 8-8. Salthouse gave the Bearcats their final lead of the contest at 9-8 with an unassisted goal with 6:27 remaining until halftime. The Greyhounds then took control, scoring four straight times – including one before the first-half buzzer sounded – to take a 12-9 lead at the break. Indianapolis then scored three goals to open a 15-9 cushion early in the second half.
 
Salthouse, DiPasquale and Fiore were all named to the 2018 GLIAC Women's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team.
 
With her five tallies on Sunday, Salthouse became the Bearcats' single-season leader with 72 goals, and netted a career-record 219 goals in her four seasons at McKendree. She is also second on the Bearcats' career scoring list with 288 points. DiPasquale finished Sunday's contest with four points to become the first McKendree player in program history with at least 100 points. DiPasquale closed the season with 102 points, and is the program's career scoring leader with 298 points.