On Saturday afternoon, Marquette women’s lacrosse (4-3) had both its patience and resilience tested in a 6-5 away victory over Niagara.
With the help of a Hanna Bodner hat trick and some goalkeeping heroics from junior Mikayla Yang, the Golden Eagles held off the Purple Eagles’ second half comeback attempt, in which they outscored the blue & gold 5-2 over the last 28 minutes.
Niagara went into this match 1-6, having picked up losses against the likes of USC, USF and Arizona State, the latter of whom had also beaten Marquette this season.
Before winning their most recent match, Marquette had lost three-straight games, setting up a duel where both teams needed a win to set themselves on a positive track before conference play.
And the opening portion of the game revealed how real that tension was. Both teams had five shots in the first quarter, but neither could get them past either keeper, while Niagara forced several early turnovers out of the traveling Golden Eagles.
Marquette broke through late in the second quarter, building a 4-0 halftime lead. Despite that run, the Golden Eagles faced a different, more determined Niagara side that surged back into the contest in the second half.
The Purple Eagles struck immediately when Michaela Delles scored on the first possession of the third quarter. Although Hanna Bodner responded with her third goal of the game to make it 5-2, Niagara continued to chip away at the deficit.
The Purple Eagles found the net later in the third quarter, cutting the lead to one heading into the final period. Early in the fourth, Kensington Keane completed the comeback by tying the game at five with 12 minutes remaining.
Marquette answered with a decisive moment shortly afterward, as junior forward Sarah Beth Burns converted a free-position opportunity to restore the Golden Eagles’ lead at 6-5. Despite sustained pressure from Niagara in the closing minutes, Marquette’s defense and goalkeeper held firm with two point-blank stops in the last two minutes of the game.
Even though it fell short on ground balls 20-13, draw controls were one of the key factors towards Marquette not letting this game run away, as they claimed an 11-2 advantage, including all of the first nine.
Improving to 5-3, Marquette has the week to prepare for its Big East opener against Georgetown, which takes place at Valley Fields on Saturday, March 21 at 11 a.m. on ESPN+.
This article was written by Eamon Bevan. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @EamonBevanMU.
