LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University women's lacrosse closed out the 2022 regular season here Sunday with a 17-2 setback to No. 3 ranked University of Indianapolis in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Leemon Field.
 
Sunday's game was a preview of next Friday's GLVC Tournament semifinals as these two teams will play each other on Friday, April 29 in the semifinals of the GLVC Tournament, which will be held at Key Stadium on the UIndy campus as the Greyhounds claimed the regular season GLVC title this year. Lindenwood, who is the No. 2 seed, will face No. 3 seeded Rockhurst in the other GLVC Tournament semifinal.
 
With Sunday's setback, the Bearcats close the regular season with an 8-8 record and finished fourth in the league standings with a 4-3 GLVC mark, while UIndy improved to 16-1 overall and 7-0 in the league.
 
Sunday's game was close early on as UIndy led 1-0 after the first period, before the Bearcats would open the second period by scoring two straight goals to take a 2-1 lead with 9:16 left in the second period.
 
But McKendree would hold the lead for a mere 37 seconds, before UIndy tied the game on a goal by Christina Sato.
 
Sato's goal seemed to ignite UIndy as they went on an 8-0 run following that goal to close the second period and take a 10-2 halftime lead.
 
The 'Hounds would keep Bearcats off the scoreboard in the second half as they added seven goals to their total to claim its 11th consecutive victory and its eighth straight win in league play dating to last season.
 
In the first quarter, graduate student midfielder Oriana Johnson (Monticello, Minn./Monticello appeared to have scored a goal with 10:26 left in the first period, but the officials ruled that it was not a goal and play continued.
 
The Greyhounds would eventually find the goal with a little less than four minutes remaining in the first period as Quinn Malcolm scored a goal off an assist from Mackenzie Winn to give UIndy a 1-0 lead.
 
That would be the only goal of the opening period as UIndy held a 1-0 lead.
 
In the second period, junior attacker Sydney Tiemann (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) tied the game on her 63rd goal of the season just 95 seconds into the period. Tieman's goal was her 101st of her career and she is one of 10 players in school history to record 100 or more career goals.
 
About four minutes later, junior attacker Kat Albrecht (Louisville, Ky./Eastern) added a free position goal to give the Bearcats a 2-1 lead. The goal by Albrecht, which was her team-high tying 63rd of the season, was her 299th career point. The 299 points set a new school record for points as she bettered the old school record of 298 points set by Dana DiPasquale from 2015-19.
 
Following Albrecht's goal, the 'Hounds would tie things up 37 seconds later on Sato's goal and retake the lead on an unassisted goal by Peyton Romig with 7:22 left in the second period.
 
During UIndy's eight goal flurry in the second period, Sarah Klein scored three of those eight goals and Malcolm scored two of the goals.
 
In the third period, Riley Taylor and Abigail Lagos each scored two goals and Kylee Manser added a goal. In the fourth, UIndy capped the scoring with goals by Joey Fowler and Winn.
 
UIndy's win was keyed by a 19-4 advantage in draw controls as Romig led the way with 13 in the game. Tiemann had two of McKendree's four draw controls.
 
The Greyhounds also posted a 43-20 edge in shots and had a 33-7 advantage in shots on goal.
 
McKendree won the ground ball battle, 10-9 as junior goalkeeper Clara Andrews (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx Hall) and sophomore attacker Riley Bishop (Grayslake, Ill./Warren Township) each had two in the game.
 
McKendree had 12 turnovers, while UIndy finished with 10 turnovers, including seven in the first half. Both teams were credited with four caused turnovers in the game.
 
Andrews played all 60 minutes in goal and she was hot early on stopping the 'Hounds from scoring as she recorded five saves in the first period and finished with 16 saves in the game and had two ground balls.
 
UIndy once again used two goalies in the game as Audrey Moran started and she allowed two goals and made two saves in the first half, while Cassidy King didn't allow a goal and made three saves and had three ground balls.