INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian women's lacrosse team notched their second consecutive win on Wednesday afternoon, as the Knights blew past Madonna University 17-2 in their fourth WHAC contest of the season. Marian moves to 7-4 with the win, and 3-1 against their WHAC foes with the victory. 

Wasting little time grabbing a lead, the Knights put up a goal 17 seconds into play, with Lizzie Piercy finding Rylie Boezeman off the opening draw for the contest's first score. Piercy scored just within 90 seconds of the first goal, starting the scoring frenzy for Marian. Ruby Mason and Piercy rattled the cage to increase the lead to four goals within in the first five minutes of play, and after a string of defensive stands, Alex Dean scored consecutive goals to give Marian a 6-0 lead. Delaney Koles and Boezeman would score before the opening quarter concluded, giving Marian an 8-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.

With their stamp on the game, Marian let off the gas slightly in the first handful of minutes in the second quarter, conceding a goal to the Crusaders as Lilly McKee scored a man-down goal. Marian responded as Ella Grace Giedd and Ruby Mason scored goals nine and 10, and with 1:54 to play in the half Esbeydi Montes netted the 11th goal of the game, starting the running clock. Alex Dean scored in the waning moments of the first half, giving the Knights a 12-1 lead at the intermission.

Marian eased into the second half with their commanding double-digit lead, playing a finesse style on offense over the final 30 minutes of play. Allyson Cissell scored the team's first goal of the second half, while Alex Dean and Olivia Dean netted third quarter goals. Ella Grace Giedd capped the third quarter with her second goal of the game, giving Marian a 16-1 edge entering the fourth quarter. In the final period, the Knights would allow an own goal as Madi Conrad's shot ricocheted into the goal off a Knight defender. Marian matched the goal in the low-scoring quarter in the final minute, as Delaney Koles scored with 59 seconds to play, capping the attack at a 17-2 final score.

Alex Dean recorded a team-high four goals in the win, adding one assist to her day. Ruby Mason and Ella Grace Giedd each recorded two goals and three assists, while Boezeman, Piercy, and Koles each scored twice. Mackenzie Brooks logged two assists in the win, and Mason led the team with six ground balls. Hayli Irvin caused four turnovers in the victory. In goal, both Katherine Hirsch and Marissa Bardo conceded a goal, with Bardo making the lone save for the net-minders. 

Marian's scheduled match for Saturday, April 5 against Aquinas has been ruled a forfeit in favor of the Knights, which will improve their overall record to 8-4 (4-1 WHAC) at the week's end. The Knights host their final home match of the regular season on April 9 against seventh-ranked Indiana Tech.

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.