ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Season five of Griffon lacrosse will kick off on Sunday at noon with a matchup against Colorado Mesa. The opener against the Mavericks has been rescheduled to an hour earlier and will now occur at the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex (GISC) due to weather conditions.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Food and beverages, except for water, are prohibited in the GISC. Pets are not permitted in the GISC.
 
FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE ACTION
Live statistics will be available at this link. Due to the game being moved indoors, there will be no live broadcast on the GLVC Network. You can find recaps and highlights of the match on https://gogriffons.com.
 
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS
Colorado Mesa finished last season with an 11-6 (8-2 RMAC) record and was picked to finish second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll with 21 points and a first-place vote. They fell to No. 6 Regis in the conference championship match, 19-6.
 
The key player to keep an eye on for the Mavericks is junior #7 Justine Anderson, who was named the RMAC Attacker of the Year in 2024. Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, she topped the Mavericks' scoring charts last season with 51 goals and accumulated a total of 63 points.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Year four of the Jessica Berg coaching era will begin with four consecutive matches at home. After facing Colorado Mesa, MWSU will host Colorado State-Pueblo on February 23, Westminster on February 27 and Colorado-Colorado Springs on March 1 inside Spratt Stadium.
 
In March, Western will play three of its final five non-conference games on the road. They will encounter Northern Michigan in Quincy, Illinois, on March 7, Northwood in Midland, Michigan, on March 16 and Walsh in North Canton, Ohio, on March 18.
 
The last two non-conference home games will be against Concordia-St. Paul on March 14 and Dominican on March 31.
 
GLVC AT A GLANCE
Following a record-setting season in 2024, with a 10-6 (4-3 GLVC) record, the Griffons are projected to finish third with 34 points in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. They placed just ahead of Rockhurst, which received 30 points, and Quincy, which had 27.
 
After clinching its second regular season title in program history in 2024, Maryville is favored to repeat this season after earning 48 points and six first-place votes. National powerhouse Indianapolis, which has claimed all four GLVC Tournament titles, was chosen as the runner-up, amassing 44 points and two first-place votes.
 
Missouri Western will open GLVC play at home on Saturday, April 5, against Quincy. They will also host Maryville on April 17 and McKendree on April 19 for the final home games of the conference schedule.
 
The Griffons' first road match in the conference will be against Rockhurst on Friday, April 11. They will then play William Jewell on Sunday, April 13. The regular season will conclude with matches at Lewis on April 25 and UIndy on April 27.
 
The GLVC Conference Championships will be held from Thursday, May 1, to Monday, May 5. The location and time will be determined based on the final regular season standings.
 
MEET THE GRIFFONS: SENIORS
Sam Pruitt, a three-time All-GLVC honoree who received first-team recognition in 2024, will return for her final season in a Griffon uniform. Last season, the native of Ellisville, Missouri, led the team with 76 points, scoring 55 goals (including three game-winners) and contributing 21 assists. She also topped the team with 134 shots (98 on target) and ranked second in draw controls with 29.
 
Two-time All-GLVC defender Grace Williams will look to build on her first team all-conference showing from last season. The native of Ballwin, Missouri, led the team with 46 ground balls and ranked second with 30 caused turnovers. In addition, she secured five draw controls and took two shots, one of which was on goal.

After missing last season due to injury, defender Jazmine Servance returns to the lineup for one final season. For her career, the two-time All-GLVC standout has tallied 58 ground balls and has caused 53 turnovers in 47 appearances.
 
Defenders Ally Cisneros, Tonesty Burt and Chasity Rice round out the six seniors returning this season. The trio collected a combined four ground balls and caused four turnovers for the Griffons last season.
 
MEET THE GRIFFONS: JUNIORS
After an impressive sophomore season that earned her All-GLVC Honorable Mention recognition, midfielder Serah Ryals aims to make a significant impact this season for the Griffons. The native of Monument, Colorado, concluded the 2024 campaign with 43 points, scoring 37 goals (including two game-winners) and recording six assists. Additionally, she gathered 37 ground balls and secured 13 draw controls.
 
Caetryn Gilreath returns to the team following a breakout season in 2023. The attacker from Lowell, Massachusetts, recorded a total of 35 points, with 28 goals and seven assists, in 16 starts for Missouri Western. Additionally, she collected 13 ground balls and caused nine turnovers for the Griffons. She did not play in 2024.
 
Maleah Sosa, another key performer from last season, returns after appearing in 17 games with 13 starts. The midfielder finished the season with 28 points, scoring 18 goals and providing 10 assists.
 
Attacker Jessica Brook, who finished last season with six points (5 assists, 1 goal), will also add depth to the Griffon attack.
 
MEET THE GRIFFONS: SOPHOMORES
Brooke Tjernlund added a spark to the lineup last season in her redshirt freshman season. The Hugo, Minnesota, native recorded an All-GLVC selection in the midfield for the Griffons. In 17 starts, she finished third on the team with 65 points after finding the back of the net 25 times and assisting on two attempts.
 
Attacker Jordan Porter returns to the Griffon offense after starting all 17 matches last season. The native of Montrose, New York, scored 19 goals and provided four assists to finish the season with a total of 23 points. She also made significant contributions on defense, recording 21 ground balls and causing eight turnovers.
 
Clare Sondrall, a midfielder from Golden Valley, Minnesota, is set to return to the midfield after a successful freshman season. Last year, she made 17 appearances, 15 of which were starts, and achieved a total of 21 points, comprising 19 goals and two assists. Additionally, she concluded the season with 26 ground balls, 17 draw controls and 10 caused turnovers.
 
Attacker Ryann Durrett also had a strong freshman season in 2024 with 15 points (12 goals, three assists). The Loveland, Colorado, native appeared in all 17 games with 10 starts.
 
Anna Raumschuh and Ava Garaway will compete for the Griffons' starting goalkeeper position. They will replace Mackenzie Porter, the first goalie in program history and a four-time All-GLVC Second Team selection.
 
Sophomore attackers Callie Faragher and Brinley Willenbrock will look to contribute to the team's offensive production this season. Last year, Faragher appeared in three games, while Willenbrock recorded five points (three goals and two assists) in 13 appearances. Additionally, Cedarburg, Wisconsin, native Zoe Kunick returns to the defensive side of the field after playing in a game against Daemen on March 10 last season.
 
MEET THE GRIFFONS: FRESHMAN
Midfielder Maddie Chidester joins the team from Air Academy in Colorado Springs. She was a four-year letter winner with the Kadets, earning first team all-conference selections for four consecutive years as an attack and draw specialist, and received an honorable mention all-state recognition for two years. Throughout her high school career, she tallied 212 career points from 164 goals and 50 assists.
 
Quinn Denne joins the team from White Bear Lake, Minnesota. At White Bear Lake High School, the defender was named all-conference, received first team all-section honors and was named Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Claire Golden is a midfielder from Poudre High School in Livermore, Colorado. She earned varsity letters in lacrosse all four years with the Impalas and excelled academically. Claire was named to the academic all-state team, made the academic honor roll, and served as a student council member.
 
Katie Meneses had an impressive high school career at Rosary Academy in Anaheim, California. The attacker was selected as Offensive Player of the Year three times and earned Trinity League honors twice, including first team recognition in 2024. She was also named to the Orange County All-Star Team twice.
 
Samantha Niedzwiecki joins the program from Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The talented defender had a remarkable career with the Red-Tailed Hawks. She was named the 2023 Defender of the Year and earned second-team defender honors from 2021 to 2023. Additionally, she concluded her high school career with an all-conference honorable mention selection in 2024.