ALLIANCE, Ohio—The No. 1 Seed Mount Union women's lacrosse team defeated No. 2 Baldwin Wallace in a dramatic finish, freshman
Emma Kielbasa scored the game-winning shot for the Purple Raiders with just three seconds remaining, securing the 11-10 victory and the eighth Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Saturday afternoon.
The Purple Raiders (12-5, 7-0 OAC) have clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament and will now wait to find out their opponent and location, with the selection show scheduled for Monday at 10:30 AM on the
NCAA's website.
Emma Kielbasa led Mount Union (12-5, 6-0 OAC) with three goals including the game winner with three seconds left earning OAC All-Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Haylee Handrahan and
Mackenzie Brown added two goals, while
Lizzie Dorley,
Ella Nejad,
Emma Labbe, and
Mae Pawlikowski added one goal each.
Abby Reagan made 13 saves in the net for the Purple Raiders, posting a stellar performance in goal with
Emma Grell causing three turnovers.
Reagan along with Alex Udovicic and
Delaney Brown were named to the All-Tournament team as well.
The Yellow Jackets (12-4, 5-1 OAC) were led by Clare Alic and Annette Doren with three goals each.
The Purple Raiders got off to a hot start, taking a 3-0 lead, as Nejad scored a goal with 9:56 on the clock in the first quarter. Baldwin Wallace would answer with a 7-2 run to close halftime, highlighted by two goals for Alic.
Mount Union dominated the third quarter, effectively shutting down the Yellow Jackets defensively and preventing them from scoring. Meanwhile, the Purple Raiders netted two goals, thanks to Labbe and Brown, to even the game at 7 by the end of the quarter.
Baldwin Wallace started the fourth quarter strong, jumping out to a 2-0 run with 10:44 remaining. However, Mount Union responded with a 3-0 run, taking a 10-9 lead. The Yellow Jackets answered back with a goal from Doren with just 1:47 left in the game. In a dramatic finish, Kielbasa scored the game-winning shot for the Purple Raiders with just three seconds remaining, securing the 11-10 victory and the OAC Championship.
The Purple Raiders have clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament and will now wait to find out their opponent and location, with the selection show scheduled for Monday at 10:30 AM on the
NCAA's website.
