INDIANAPOLIS (March 8, 2020) – The Colorado State University-Pueblo women's lacrosse team battled with McKendree University Sunday in a neutral site nonconference contest, but fell 17-16. 
 
The ThunderWolves (0-4) totaled 32 shots with 25 on goal, while allowing 37 shots and 32 on frame. The Pack led with a 25-21 advantage in ground balls. CSU-Pueblo was successful in its clear attempts with an 85.7 percentage (18-for-21). The ThunderWolves also forced 21 Bearcat (3-2) turnovers and committed 17 of their own. 
 
Junior Emily Eller (A, Keller, Texas) netted a team-high four goals on eight shots. She led the team with four draw controls, while her four ground balls tied a team best. She also added a caused turnover. 
 
Senior Ali Doyle (A, Portland, Ore.) totaled three goals with one assist. 
 
Freshman Caira Lessick (M, Oregon City, Ore.) recorded two goals and added an assist. She gathered two ground balls and two draw controls.
 
Junior Olivia Tener (M, Boise, Id.) and senior Elyse Ingram (M, San Jose, Calif.) each added two goals. 
 
Senior Britney Smith (D, Oregon City, Ore.) tied for the team lead with four ground balls and tied with fellow senior defender Morgan Monaghan (Dublin, Ohio) with three caused turnovers. 
 
Senior goalie Ane Marie Horton (Long Beach, Calif.) collected 15 saves.
 
The Pack were down 3-0 in the first five minutes of play, but responded with four unanswered goals to take the 4-3 lead with 18:02 left in the first half. Ingram scored the first two goals of the game to jump-start the team. 
 
The Bearcats stopped the run with a goal, but only momentarily, as the ThunderWolves kept the offensive pressure on with three more goals to open a 7-4 lead and just under 10 to play. McKendree won the final 10 minutes 4-1 and the halftime score was 8-7 in favor of the Pack. Doyle scored all three of her goals in the first half. 
 
After scoring just once in the final nine minutes of the first half, the ThunderWolves found their offense again to start the second half and rattled off five straight goals in 9:23 of game time. Eller scored twice in the run to help guide the Pack to a 13-7 lead.
 
Unfortunately, the offense went cold for the next 14 minutes and in the process the Bearcats scored nine unanswered goals to lead 16-13 with 8:36 to play. 
 
Eller broke the streak with 6:08 remaining to get the Pack within two, but McKendree responded within a minute and the ThunderWolves trailed 17-14 with five minutes left. 
 
CSU-Pueblo was able to keep McKendree off the scoreboard the rest of the way and Lessick and Tener scored just 43 seconds apart to get the Pack within one at 17-16 with 3:05 remaining in regulation. The comeback would fall short, as the Pack weren't able to get another shot off to lose by the narrow one-goal margin. 
 
The ThunderWolves return home Tuesday, March 10 for a 4 p.m. contest against Ashland University at the Art and Lorraine Gonzales Stadium.
 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.