INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian women's lacrosse team came up shot on Saturday afternoon in a top-10 matchup at Ascension St. Vincent Field, as the Knights fell 16-11 against No. 5 Lawrence Tech. The loss drops Marian to 5-4 on the season, while they hold a 1-1 record in WHAC play.

Both the Knights and Blue Devils were active early on Saturday, with Lawrence Tech cracking the lid on the goals with an Alaina Smythe goal 52 seconds into the game. Marian would waste no time seeking a response, as Ruby Mason won the ensuing draw and scored off a pass from Ella Grace Giedd, leveling the score in 23 seconds of game time. Giedd got involved in the scoring again with 11:53 to play in the opening quarter as she scored on a free-position shot, giving Marian an early share of the lead. Lawrence Tech would respond with two goals separated by 58 seconds to take a 3-2 lead, but Marian remained in the game as Mason and Delaney Koles each fired home a shot between the pipes. The Knights' quick scores gave them a 4-3 lead with 6:38 remaining in quarter one, but Lawrence Tech would get the last laugh in the period, scoring with 4:58 to play to tie the game once more.

Lawrence Tech had a goal wiped off in the waning 20 seconds of the first quarter, keeping the score tied as it moved into the second period. Defense dominated early in the quarter as Marian forced a turnover and got a save in goal from Katherine Hirsch, but would fail to keep the quarter's shutout going as Smythe scored with 11:04 remaining in the half. The game held the one-goal difference for over six minutes as both sides made offense difficult for the other, however Lawrence Tech was able to break the drought after a timeout to capture a two-goal lead. 

Marian would claw back within one goal with 4:02 to play in the half as Rylie Boezeman scored her second goal of the game, and with 47 seconds remaining in the half Ruby Mason completed a hat trick as she matched a Blue Devil score. Marian's defense iced out the Blue Devils after Mason's last-minute goal, helping end the half trailing 7-6.

The Knights opened the second half scoring with a goal from Lizzie Piercy on their first possession of the period, and with 10:12 to play in the third quarter Giedd scored her second goal to propel Marian in the lead. The 8-7 advantage established with 10:12 to play in the third would not hold in favor of Marian, as Lawrence Tech netted the next two goals to push in front 9-8. Ruby Mason helped Marian stay in the fight with her fourth goal at the 6:31 mark, but a late defensive lapse would prevent the Knights from keeping the score tied, as two goals from Smythe in the final 75 seconds gave the Blue Devils an 11-9 lead entering the final quarter.

Alex Dean and Delaney Koles kept Marian in the hunt through the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, drawing Marian within one goal as the pair of scores helped make the game a 12-11 showing. Koles' man-advantage goal with 10:20 brought Marian within one as it answered a goal from Smythe, but Marian would see the game grow back to a two-goal deficit just over one minute later, as the Blue Devils' top-scoring threat was able to drop in a goal with 9:12 remaining. Smythe's goal put Marian in a 13-11 hole, and after two turnovers on the defensive half of the field, the Knights would yield two more scores, seeing the game get out of reach. Lawrence Tech would add one final score to their total, capping the scoring with 3:30 remaining as they defeated Marian 16-11.

Ruby Mason had a team-high four goals in the defeat, while Delaney Koles and Ella Grace Giedd each scored twice. Giedd recorded four of Marian's five assists in the loss. Mason led the team in draw controls with seven, and Rylie Boezeman had a team-best three caused turnovers. Katherine Hirsch made nine saves in the loss, dropping to 5-4 on the season in goal.

Marian goes on the road for their next game, traveling to Michigan to take on Rochester Christian in their next WHAC matchup.

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