HOLLAND, Michigan—The Mount Union women's lacrosse team held off a late charge from Hope College in a 9-8 victory Saturday afternoon.
 
The Purple Raiders (4-2) were led by Eden Kesler (Chagrin Falls / Kenston) with three goals. Emma Labbe (Uniontown / Lake) and Mackenzie Kolstad (Victor, N.Y. / Victor) finished with two goals each for Mount Union.
 
Mae Pawlikowski (Orchard Park, N.Y. / Orchard Park) and Ella Nejad (Rocky River) each had a goal for Mount Union as well. Emma Grell (Mars, Pa. / Mars Area) caused four turnovers for the Raiders as Labbe, Kesler and Emily Funk (Strongsville) each had four groundballs.
 
Abby Lindkvist (Greenlawn, N.Y. / Harborfields) picked up the win in cage making seven saves while the Mount Union defense caused 17 turnovers on the day.
 
Hope (2-2) was led by Julia Brown with four goals, Mia Skibins with four caused turnovers and Sydney Laprairie with five ground balls.
 
Samantha Smith was in goal for Hope making eight saves.
 
Hope grabbed the first goal of the game just 46 seconds into the game. Neither team scored for the next 12:09 of play until Kolstad had two goals within two minutes of each other to take a 2-1 lead into the first quarter break.
 
Both team's defenses were on showcase in the second quarter as Hope allowed a Labbe goal five minutes in and Mount Union allowed just one goal with 3:32 remaining in the quarter as Mount Union took a 3-2 lead into halftime.
 
Mount Union opened the third quarter with four straight goals as Kesler had two and Pawlikowski and Labbe each had a goal with Mount Union taking a 7-2 lead. The Raiders defense didn't allow a goal until the final minute of the play allowing two as Mount Union took a 7-4 lead into the final quarter.
 
Mount Union and Hope traded goals back and forth as Nejad and Kesler each scored for Mount Union as they led 9-6 with five minutes remaining. Mount Union would hold hope scoreless for four minutes before two late goals from Hope brought the score to 9-8 as Mount Union won the final draw of the day and ran the game clock to zero.
 
Mount Union will now head on Spring break to Tennessee as they will take on Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. On Thursday, March 13 with a 4 CT/5 ET and Sewanee College on Saturday, March 15 with a 1 CT/2 ET start time.