WPU Concludes Campaign in Heart Semifinals

Atchison, Kan.--The Statesmen women's lacrosse team was unable to keep its season alive via a massive upset as it fell 27-2 to top-seeded Benedictine in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Semifinals Wednesday.

#4 seed William Penn (2-8) was outshot 42-4 and unfortunately failed to win any of the 26 draw controls in the season-ending loss to the fifth-ranked Ravens (12-3).

BC poured it on early with 10 goals in the opening quarter.  The hosts added five more goals before the navy and gold finally broke through as Emily Ferguson (Sr., Waterloo, N.Y., Exercise Science) scored a man-up goal off a pass from Ashlyn Hoffman (Sr. Bend, Ore., Nursing) with 2:56 until halftime.

The latter half was much of the same as WPU was outscored 11-1.  Ferguson tallied her squad's lone goal, doing so unassisted early in the fourth period to cap the Statesmen scoring.  The senior recorded all four of her team's shots.

Hoffman and Kenzington Winget (Sr., West Jordan, Utah., Political Science) each tallied three ground balls, while Winget also paced the defensive field players with two caused turnovers.  Catrina Dinehart (Grad., Palmyra, N.Y., Master's of Sports Management) finished with 11 saves in front of the cage.

WPU committed 20 turnovers (BC had 11), while the visitors also had eight successful clears in 15 total tries.  The Ravens, who won the ground ball battle 19-8, were 6-for-7 in clearances on the night.

"The ladies played a tough and gritty game to end their season," Head Coach Joshua Bell said.  "The rematch against Benedictine did not go quite how we hoped, but at the end of the day, I am undeniably proud of how they played their hearts out this season.  They came together in their last game, they played for each other and their seniors, and they left it all on the field until the very last whistle.  It was amazing to be a part of."