ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The youngest program on campus is set to build on its best season yet.

Griffon Lacrosse begins the 2024 season this Sunday with a non-conference matchup against Concordia-St. Paul at 12 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota. This will mark the fourth season of lacrosse at Missouri Western, a program led by third-year Head Coach Jessica Berg. Her squad went 9-8 overall and 3-3 in the Great Lake Valley Conference last season, earning the team's first winning season and its first trip to the postseason. After giving No. 5-ranked UIndy a fight in the GLVC Tournament's quarterfinal round and leading the Greyhounds after one quarter, MWSU was tabbed fourth in the 2024 GLVC Preseason Poll.

With that, Western brings back seven All-GLVC players from the 2023 season, including the program's all-time saves and ground balls leader, senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Porter. Now in her fourth year at MWSU, Porter has accumulated 424 saves and 178 ground balls, picking up a Griffon season record 70 ground balls in 2023 to earn her a nod to the All-GLVC Second Team. She's joined by fellow all-conference second teamers such as senior defender Jazmine Servance, junior defender Grace Williams and junior midfielder KC Ossello, 

Those Griffs are accompanied by the following All-GLVC Honorable Mentions: junior defender Mikaela Ness; senior defender Bella Ramirez; and junior midfielder Sam Pruitt. Tying her for first on the team with 45 goals, Pruitt also finished second with 20 assists and 65 points. Pruitt also finished 2023 with the second-best shooting percentage on the team, holstering a clip of 57%.

Leading the team with a 57.1% shooting clip, Ness enters 2024 as the team's all-time draw controls leader, winning the draw 101 times in her three-year Griffon career. If those accolades weren't enough, sophomore midfielder Maleah Sosa returns as the GLVC's reigning James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award recipient. 

As for Berg, she enters the 2024 season with a 17-17 career record after taking over as interim head coach in 2022. Thanks to a program record-setting 12 All-GLVC selections in 2023, retention was high in 2024. Out of 24 players on the active roster, 17 are returners. Western also welcomes six freshmen and one sophomore transfer. 

2/11 - SCOUTING CONCORDA-ST. PAUL | 12 PM
After finishing third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic, Concordia has once again been tabbed third in the preseason conference poll. The Golden Bears went 6-10 overall and 2-4 in GLIAC action in 2023. Concordia has finished with a .500 record or better three times in the team's existence, as this is just year of Golden Bear women's lacrosse. The team went 2-3 at home inside the Concordia Dome last season and will open the 2024 season there with MWSU.

Who to Watch
Sophomore midfielder Susie Monson is the team's returning goals leader with 20 in 2023. She also finished first with 44 draw controls and second with 28 points, earning All-GLIAC Second Team honors. Fellow freshman midfielder Kayleigh Nelson made the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team after leading CSP with 14 assists in her freshman campaign. Defensively, the Golden Bears are anchored by sophomore defender Claire Flahaven, who finished first with 21 caused turnovers and second with 27 ground balls. Concordia's only returner goalkeeper with experience is senior Maddy Huebner, who played five games in 2023. She tallied a 2-0 record and made 25 saves while giving up 23 goals.

Head Coach
Ali Jennings in year three with CSP, holding a 14-20 record as a Golden Bear, In her four-year career dating back to her time with UW-River Falls, she is 37-29. She is 1-1 vs. MWSU/Berg and 1-0 when the Griffons come to St. Paul.

Have We Met?
This is the third all-time meeting between MWSU and CSP. The series is split at 1-1, with the Griffons winning last season in St. Joseph. 

Last Time Out
Box Score
After trailing 2-1 through one quarter, MWSU used a six-goal second quarter to eventually down CSP 13-9 on March 31, 2023, at Spratt Stadium. Western went ahead for good on a go-ahead goal by Brady Madison. Pruitt padded the lead with two straight goals shortly after, giving the Griffs 7-4 halftime lead. After recording a goal earlier in the game, Ness went on two score two more times to tally a game-high three goals. Meanwhile, Porter finished with nine saves after facing seven shots on goal.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON LACROSSE HISTORY
This Sunday marks the first time in program history the Griffons will play on Feb. 11. It's the earliest start date in the team's young history.