MARQUETTE, Mich. – The women's lacrosse team began its 2026 season in Marquette, Michigan, where they fell to the undefeated Wildcats of Northern Michigan University in non-conference action on Thursday, February 19th at the Superior Dome. 

Score: McKendree University 5, Northern Michigan University 15 

Record: Bearcats 0-1, 0-0 GLVC | Wildcats 3-0, 0-0 GLIAC 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Northern Michigan opened up the contest with two of its first goals, until sophomore midfielder Elle Garriock (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) gave McKendree their first of the season by firing one inside to cut the deficit to one. A five-goal spurt by the Wildcats bled into the second period, almost six minutes in, but a free position shot by junior midfielder Mackenzie Stroisch (Arnold, Mo.) found the back of the net to get the Bearcats right back on the board. 

A 2-0 run by the Bearcats came about in less than a two-minute span, as freshman attacker Elora Waardenburg (Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Canada) and junior midfielder Lexi Macleod (Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada) contributed on the pair to be down 4-9 to the opposition. Yet, Northern Michigan tacked on two more to close the half 11-4 in their favor. 

After a sluggish third quarter that saw just one goal scored by only the Wildcats, the fourth period of play was clinched by Northern Michigan with three more goals to get them to 15 on the day. Macleod notched in one more for her team with 4:42 left in regulation, but it could not match the foe, as the Bearcats would drop their season opener 5-15. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Macleod finished with a team-high two goals on four shot attempts (50.0%) to go with a ground ball, a pair of caused turnovers, and two draw controls. 

• Waardenburg, Garriock, and Stroisch each tabbed one goal in the setback. 

• Junior goalkeeper Amber Hayden (Woburn, Mass.) stayed in the net the entire 32 minutes of play and recorded 13 saves, two ground balls, and one caused turnover. 

• McKendree was 50.0% on free position shots. 

• The Bearcats were 16/19 (84.2%) on clear attempts. 

UP NEXT 

McKendree will be back in action on Sunday, February 22nd, when they travel westward to face Concordia University, St. Paul for a noon bout at 12:00 PM CT inside the Concordia Dome in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Fans can tune in live or on-demand on FloSports with a subscription/download purchase required, as live stats will also be provided to the public. Tickets can be purchased on the Golden Bears' athletic website. 

Make sure to keep up with McKendree University Women's Lacrosse on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram. #GLVCwlax | #D2lax 

For more updates and information on Bearcat Athletics, please continue to visit McKBearcats.com and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram. 
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