The Lindenwood women's lacrosse team has advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament for the second straight season. The No. 3 Lady Lions will take on No. 1 Lock Haven on Saturday in Salem, Va. The winner of that game will play for the national championship on Sunday versus the winner of the No. 2 Adelphi/No. 4 Le Moyne game.
Lindenwood Game Notes:- Lindenwood and Lock Haven will be meeting for the NCAA Division II South Regional Championship for the second straight season. In 2014, Lock Haven won in overtime with a final score of 10-9.
- Lindenwood and Lock Haven have a combined record of 38-1 this season. The lone loss came when the two teams met back on April 6. Lock Haven held the Lady Lions scoreless for the first 20 minutes as it jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Lindenwood outscored the Bald Eagles the rest of the way but lost 8-5.
- The semifinal battle will be the No. 1 offense in the nation versus the No. 1 defense. Lindenwood leads NCAA Division II with 16.65 goals a game, while Lock Haven is allowing a national-best 4.95 goals a game. On the other side of the field, the Lady Lions are No. 6 nationally in scoring defense (7.20), and Lock Haven is No. 19 in scoring offense (13.84).
- In the battle for possession, Lindenwood has won 64.8 percent of its draw controls, while Lock Haven has won 59.7 percent.
- Lindenwood is having its best season in program history as it enters the semifinals with a 19-1 record. The Lady Lions have shattered the previous school record of 15 wins.
- Lindenwood won the 2015 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championship with a 6-0 record, and it also captured the RMAC Tournament title. Since moving to the NCAA Division II level, the Lady Lions have won four conference championships, and have a perfect 29-0 record in conference games.
- Lindenwood is 7-1 this season against nationally-ranked opponents.
- The Lady Lions are 64-9 since moving to the NCAA Division II level. They have made the national postseason in both years they were eligible. Lindenwood made NCAA Division II history last year by being the first program west of the Mississippi River to compete in the national tournament, and this season, became the furthest program to the west to host a national tournament game.
- Lindenwood is 4-0 this year in games decided by just a single goal, including a 2-0 mark in overtime.
Jordyn Constance has three game-winning goals in those contests.
- Six Lady Lions earned all-region honors in 2015.
Bailey Knapton and
Melissa Menchella were first-team selections,
Sophie Buelow,
Jordyn Constance, and
Rachel Ortell were second-team, and
Lindsey Palmer was third-team.
- This season,
Bailey Knapton was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year,
Sophie Buelow was the RMAC Midfielder of the Year,
Rachel Ortell was the RMAC Rookie and Goalie of the Year, and
Jack Cribbin was the RMAC Coach of the Year. Those four players, along with
Melissa Menchella and
Lindsey Palmer were first-team all-RMAC.
Jordyn Constance and
Savannah Phillips were second-team, and honorable mention honors went to
Molly Beckham,
Amanda Schimpke, and
Cassie Stucklen.
- Lindenwood has seven seniors on its 2015 roster. Six of those seniors,
Danielle Budde,
Lindsey Palmer,
Renee Abrolat,
Taylor Mayeda,
Melissa Menchella, and
Jamie Miller have been with the program since its inaugural NCAA season. One junior,
Jordyn Constance, was also a member of that 2012 team.
- Lindenwood is 0-2 all-time against both Lock Haven and Adelphi, and it has not faced Le Moyne in its NCAA history. Three of those four losses have been decided by three goals or less.
