Grizzlies Hang on vs. Bearcats to Get First WILA Win

ALAMOSA, Colo.- Junior Megan Daly (Walnut Creek, Calif.) recorded her first hat-trick of her career while sophomore Heather Jones (Littleton, Colo.) and junior LiErin Wilson (Silverton, Colo.) netted two goals each to lead Adams State to their first-ever WILA victory by an 11-10 score, Sunday afternoon over visiting McKendree (Ill.) at the ASU Lacrosse & Soccer Field.

The Grizzlies, who also claimed their first-ever win over a NCAA Division II opponent and their first ever home-field victory in the process, led 7-3 at the half and held on to the victory despite a spirited Bearcat comeback, fueled by Rianne Holzmeyer, who tallied a game and career-high five total goals, including three in the game's final 7 ½ minutes.

The Grizzlies, now 1-2 overall and 1-1 in WILA play in this their third total season, scored on five of eight free position shots throughout the afternoon. They also converted on three of five yellow cards handed out against the Bearcats.

The first-year Bearcats, who were playing their third game in as many days, fell to 1-4 overall and to 0-2 in the WILA after they committed 32 total turnovers.

Wilson tallied ASU's first goal just 4:43 into the day before Holzmeyer netted one of McKendree's three free position tallies just over four minutes later.

However, ASU answered right back as sophomore Aislinn Stace (Boise, Idaho) scored her first goal as a Grizzly on a free position shot of her own.

McKendree's Shirley Boland, who had three goals and an assist, then answered with a long run and goal before the Grizzlies scored the next four goals to take a 6-2 lead with 7:08 left in the first half. Daly, who finished the day with a career-high four offensive points, had two of the goals in the run, both of which were aided by a pair of yellow cards on McKendree's Sadie Delashmit, who saw her day come to an early end.

The Bearcats' Lia Hanenburg would score a man-up goal of her own to close the gap to 6-3 before Wilson completed the first-half scoring with a free position shot goal with 1:36 showing on the clock.

After the Bearcats pulled to within 7-5 on Boland and Holzmeyer goals 1:01 apart early in the second half, the Grizzlies regained a 4-goal advantage thanks to goals by Lexy Hamilton (Monte Vista, Colo.) and Amanda Hisel (Conifer, Colo.).

However, the Bearcats stormed back to within 9-8 with a 3-0 run.

Daly then extended the Grizzlies lead to 10-8 with a free position shot with 5:06 left before the Bearcats won the ensuing draw, scoring on a Boland-to-Holzmeyer play just 26 seconds after Daly's goal.

The Grizzlies then scored what proved to be the game-clinching goal just 13 seconds later as Hisel controlled the draw before feeding the ball to Daly, who in turn assisted on Jones' second goal to complete the break-out.

Trailing 11-9, the Bearcats would win the ensuing draw control before eventually earning an offensive rebound and Holzmeyer goal with 2:17 left.

The Bearcats' also won the final draw control of the day but turned the ball over with just less than two minutes left as ASU was able to run out the clock, thanks in large part to Hisel.

ASU sophomore net-minder Danica Kristiansen (Lake Forest, Calif.) stopped three Bearcat shots and also finished with five caused turnovers and a team-high seven ground balls. Freshman Qiana Barfield (Denver, Colo.) also played well defensively, tallying a school-record six caused turnovers and four ground balls. She also had the final and key caused turnover stopping what ended up being the Bearcats' final possession.

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