WLAX: Marian and LTU Punch Tickets to WHAC Tournament Final

#3 Lawrence Tech def. #2 Indiana Tech, 18-8 | Box Score

Indiana Tech carried a two-goal lead late in the first quarter, but Lawrence Tech flipped the match with a dominant second quarter and handed the Warriors an 18-8 loss Thursday at Warrior Ath. Field.

The decisive stretch came after Indiana Tech built a 6-3 advantage in the opening quarter. Michelle Farrell scored with 2:25 left in the first, off an assist from Jessica Leigh, to cap that early run and put the Warriors ahead by three. Lawrence answered quickly in the second quarter, and Bella Louwerse's free-position man-up goal with 10:16 remaining tied the game at 6-6. That sequence ignited a 10-0 quarter for Lawrence Tech, which turned a competitive start into a 14-6 halftime lead.

Lawrence scored in every quarter, posting a 4-10-2-2 breakdown, while Indiana Tech was held scoreless in both the second and third quarters before adding two late goals in the fourth. Audrey Durham added a man-up goal at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter to extend the Lawrence lead to 15-6, and Jocelyn Vander zwaag scored again with 7:39 left in the fourth as the Blue Devils continued to control the final stages.

Lawrence Tech's top scorers led the surge. Louwerse finished with five goals and two assists, Jocelyn Vander zwaag added five goals and one assist, and Mari Pellmann contributed four goals and three assists. Alyson Walendzak also scored three times. Lawrence put 32 of its 38 shots on goal, won the draw-control battle 18-9, and finished with a 23-17 edge in ground balls.

Indiana Tech got two goals and three assists from Liliana Rivera, who also recorded three draw controls, while Jessica Leigh added two goals and two assists. The Warriors finished with 17 shots, including 11 on goal. Indiana Tech's goalie unit recorded 14 saves, a figure that helped limit further damage during a game in which Lawrence converted five power-play goals. Lawrence finished with three saves on the other end.

The match, played before 72 fans and officiated by Elly Da Costa, was defined by that second-quarter swing. After Indiana Tech dictated much of the first quarter, Lawrence Tech seized possession more consistently, capitalized on extra-player chances, and never allowed the Warriors back within striking distance over the final two quarters.

#1 Marian def. #4 Bethel, 17-0 | Box Score

Marian seized control in the opening quarter and never let it go Thursday night, rolling past Bethel 17-0 at ASV Field in Indianapolis. The decisive stretch came early, when the Knights scored seven times in the first quarter, including the opener from Ruby Mason at 14:08 and a late finish from Alex Dean with 2:16 left that sent Marian into the break between quarters with a 7-0 lead.

That fast start turned into an 11-0 halftime advantage. Delaney Koles added a man-up goal in the first quarter off an assist from Rylie Boezeman, and Ella Grace Giedd struck twice in the opening 15 minutes, including a goal at 11:01 off a feed from Dean. In the second quarter, Boezeman scored at 12:06 with an assist from Esbeydi Montes, Giedd converted a free-position chance at 10:11, and Mason scored again at 8:56 off another assist from Dean. Dean then closed the half with a free-position goal with one second remaining for the 11-0 cushion.

Marian's offense was balanced throughout. Giedd and Dean each finished with three goals and two assists, while Boezeman had two goals and two assists. Allyson Cissell and Skyler O'Leary each scored twice, and Marian also got goals from Mason, Koles and Taleah Nool. The Knights totaled 17 goals on 44 shots and recorded 12 assists, a reflection of how often they moved the ball into quality scoring chances.

The third and fourth quarters followed the same pattern. Cissell scored at 12:30 of the third quarter off an assist from Taleah Nool, and O'Leary added another at 4:41 for a 13-0 lead entering the fourth. Nool opened the final quarter with a goal at 14:38 on an assist from O'Leary. Cissell added a man-up goal at 10:03 off a pass from Giedd, Dean made it 16-0 at 8:00 with an assist from Mason, and O'Leary capped the scoring on a free-position goal with 3:55 remaining.

Marian also controlled much of the possession game. The Knights finished with 11 draw controls to Bethel's seven, collected 32 ground balls, and committed just 11 turnovers while forcing Bethel into 24. Marian went 12 for 12 on clears and was charged with only one penalty foul. In goal, Marian's keepers combined for seven saves to preserve the shutout, while Bethel goalkeeper Maddie Reel kept the score from growing even larger with 17 saves.

Bethel finished with nine shots, seven on goal, and could not break through against Marian's defense. The win came in front of 150 spectators and a four-person officiating crew of Elizabeth Demara, Ryan King, Matt Sallee and Mitch Huppert. By the time O'Leary buried the final free-position chance late in the fourth quarter, Marian had turned the night into a comprehensive result from the opening draw to the final whistle.