The No. 8 Lindenwood women's lacrosse team was defeated in the first round of the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament on Friday afternoon in Denver, Colo. The Lions dropped a 13-9 decision to the No. 17 Colorado Mesa Mavericks.

GAME OVERVIEW
Lindenwood came out strong, scoring the first two goals of the game, and three of the first four to take a 3-1 lead over the Mavericks. Paige Sutton, Carly Fedorowski, and Maria Johnson were the goal scorers for the Lions.

Colorado Mesa poured in five of the next six goals, as it established a 6-4 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the half.

Fedorowski and Johnson answered quickly for the Lions, each scoring once before halftime, as Lindenwood managed to even the score at 6-6 heading into intermission.

Colorado Mesa took control of the game in the second half, as it scored the first two goals of the period, and held the Lions scoreless for the first 11:05 of play. The Mavericks registered seven of the first nine goals during the second half, and seized control of the contest. In all, the Mavericks outscored the Lions by a 7-3 margin over the final 30 minutes of play to pick up the 13-9 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Johnson led the way offensively for the Lions, scoring a season-high four goals.
- Fedorowski was the other multi-goal scorer for the Lions, finishing the afternoon with two scores.
- Morgan Reader secured a team-leading five draw controls, while Ellie Faulk added four.
- Six different Lions caused multiple turnovers in the game.
- Garland Fiser, Alana Jeronimo, and Reader each scooped up three ground balls.
- Aly Smith made nine saves in goal for the Lions.

SEASON REVIEW
Lindenwood concludes the season with a 16-3 record, and reached the NCAA Postseason for the sixth consecutive season.