ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western lacrosse (2-2) will travel for the first time this season on Friday at 2:00 p.m. to face the Northern Michigan Wildcats (3-0) at QU Stadium in Quincy, Illinois.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
The match will be broadcast free on the
GLVC SPORTS NETWORK, and you can find live stats
here.
WHAT A WEEK FOR AVA
Sophomore
Ava Garaway has earned the title of GLVC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
Over four quarters of action, the Thousand Oaks, California native made a career-high 13 saves in each game, achieving a .531 save percentage. She also added three ground balls to her strong showing.
TOP GRIFFON PERFORMERS
Senior
Sam Pruitt is leading the team with a total of 19 points (tied for 7th in the GLVC). The attack/midfielder has recorded 10 goals and provided nine assists in just four games. Additionally, she has secured nine draws and picked up nine ground balls.
Junior
Caetryn Gilreath has been a scoring machine this season. After a career-high five-goal performance against UC-Colorado Springs, she has extended her team-leading goal total to 16 (6th in the GLVC). Her average of 4.00 goals per game ranks fifth in the conference.
Junior
Jessica Brook has also amassed 16 points, with 12 assists (tied for 2nd in the GLVC) and four goals. This includes a school-record seven assists in a game against CSU Pueblo. Her average of 3.00 assists per game is the second-highest in the league.
On the defensive side, sophomore
Jordan Porter leads the team with 10 ground balls (tied for 7th in the GLVC), and her average of 2.50 ground balls per game is the highest in the conference. Senior
Grace Williams has excelled defensively as well, ranking second in the GLVC with 2.50 caused turnovers per game, followed by
Brooke Tjernlund with 2.00 (tied for 3rd in the GLVC).
Sophomore goalie
Ava Garaway (2-2) has established herself in the goal for the Griffons, recording 45 saves in four starts. Her average of 11.25 saves per game is the second-most in the GLVC, and her .500 save percentage is tied for second in the league.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Northern Michigan finished the 2024 campaign 14-5 (4-2 GLIAC) and was picked to finish second with 13 points and one first-place vote in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Their season came to an end in the conference tournament with a 13-3 loss to Grand Valley State.
The Wildcats head into the weekend with an unbeaten 3-0 record. They have secured victories against Walsh (19-6), UW-Stout (18-1) and Wisconsin-La Crosse (18-8). Their next matchup is against Quincy on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
The player to watch for NMU is sophomore attacker Josie Lakosky. The native of Victoria, Minnesota, leads the team with 13 points (10 goals, 3 assists), has won 19 draws and secured four ground balls.
Goalie Zoe Montgomery (2-0) has a goals-against average of 4.00 heading into the weekend. The redshirt freshman has recorded six saves and a pair of ground balls.
