ALLIANCE, Ohio – Mount Union's women's lacrosse team scored a 19-9 victory over Ohio Northern in the Ohio Athletic Conference opener on a snowy Saturday at Mount Union Stadium.

The game was tied at 5-5 after 20 minutes of play but the Purple Raiders (4-2, 1-0 OAC) out-scored the Polar Bears (4-5, 0-1 OAC) 14-4 over the game's final 40 minutes to get the win.

Mount Union was led on offense by senior Sydney Bumbarger (Newbury Park, Calif.) had a career-high seven goals, freshman Mackenzie Kolestad (Victor, N.Y. / Victor Senior) had eight points with two goals and six assists, while sophomores Katie Clark (Hudson / Walsh Jesuit) and Eden Kesler (Chagrin Falls / Kenston) each had four goals and an assist.

Ohio Northern was paced by Avary Snyder's two goals and two assists.

Graduate student Molly McGinnis (Brunswick) and freshman Abby Lindkvist (Greenlawn, N.Y. / Harborfields) combined for five saves in goal for the Raiders.

Kolestad started the scoring for Mount Union just 97 seconds into the game, but Northern tied it up just over four minutes later. Bumbarger and Clark both scored over the next two minutes to put Mount Union back out in front but Northern tied it at 3-3 with two goals in a span of 33 seconds. Bumbarger scored again and it was 4-3 Raiders after one quarter.

Kesler scored in the opening minute of the second quarter before again two quick ONU goals tied the game at 5-5 with 11:31 left in the half. Bumbarger and Clark each scored two during a 4-0 Mount Union run that made it 9-5 with 6:59 remaining in the quarter. Northern again had a two-goal rally to close to 9-7 at the 3:12 mark. Mount Union then finished the half on a three-goal surge with Bumbarger getting one and Kesler scoring two in the final 1:02 and the Raiders led 12-7 at the break.

Mount Union opened the second half on a 5-0 run to push the lead to 17-7. Bumbarger had two during the run with Kesler, Clark and Julia Bates (East Lyme, Conn.) accounting for the other three. A Northern goal temporarily halted the running clock, but Kolstad re-established the 10-goal margin with a score just under four minutes left in the third quarter.

Sam Karr (Newark, Del. / Newark Charter) scored in the fourth to give Mount Union a 19-8 lead and Northern got one more goal late for the 19-9 final.

Mount Union next travels to Marietta for an OAC game Wednesday, March 30 at 7 p.m. in Marietta, Ohio.