The Wildcats had an opportunity to defeat Grand Valley State for the first time in the decade-long history of the lacrosse program in Marquette on Friday, but the Lakers emerged with a 9-4 victory at their home field in Allendale on Friday evening.

However, NMU turned it around and scored a 14-6 win against Davenport in Grand Rapids on Sunday afternoon.

The time looked ripe for Northern to score its first victory over Grand Valley, the team that has won or shared the regular season title in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for all 12 years the sport has been offered in the league, also winning nine of the dozen GLIAC Tournament titles, too.

This season, however, the Lakers began with an uncharacteristic 1-7 record, even though six of their losses were to nationally ranked teams.

Northern Michigan University’s Annabelle Johnson, right, tries to make a move around a defender to get off a shot during a GLIAC women’s lacrosse game played against Saginaw Valley State at the Superior Dome in Marquette on March 20. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

With this outcome, the Wildcats have settled into their accustomed second-place position in the conference at 2-1, 8-3 overall, after the weekend as Grand Valley is now on top at 2-0 in league games and 3-7 overall.

NMU is tied with Davenport at 2-1 as the Panthers are also 7-4 overall, the only other GLIAC team with a winning conference mark.

Northern gets a chance to start stacking wins again this weekend, when it opens a three-game homestand against GLIAC fourth-place Concordia-St. Paul (1-2 GLIAC) at noon Saturday.

The quality of opposition quickly ramps up after that, though, with Davenport coming to town on Friday, April 10, and Grand Valley at the Superior Dome on Sunday, April 12. The Wildcats’ rematch with the Lakers could prove interesting with it being on NMU’s home field.

Here are details from Northern’s games last weekend:

Grand Valley 9, NMU 4

In a game that began late Friday afternoon in Allendale, the Wildcats were held to their lowest score of the season — and only the third time not registering double-digit goals — as top scorer Josie Lakosky was held scoreless despite taking a team-high eight shots, with five of them on goal.

Instead, it was Avery Lorinser that provided Northern’s offensive punch, knocking in three goals and adding an assist for four points as she took seven shots with five of them on goal.

The only other Wildcats’ scorer was Vanessa Carrico, who scored on her only shot taken.

The Lakers jumped out quickly, scoring twice in the game’s first 8 1/2 minutes before Lorinser got NMU on the board with 2:03 remaining in the first quarter.

Then GVSU scored the next three goals to make it 5-1 at halftime.

Northern regrouped during intermission, however, scoring the first two goals of the second half on a Carrico tally assisted by Lorinser just 3:11 in, then Lorinser’s second goal just a few seconds past the midpoint of the third quarter.

That pulled the Wildcats within 5-3, but that would be as close as they would get. Grand Valley scored another pair of back-to-back goals, Lorinser added her final tally late in the third, and the Lakers pumped in the only two goals of the final period for the ending five-goal margin.

NMU netminder Lauren Esposito made six saves and GVSU counterpart Sarah Krause eight as Grand Valley held shooting advantages of 22-20 in overall shots and 14-10 in shots on goal.

Most other stats were quite close, the Lakers having fewer turnovers, 18-17, and more ground balls, 18-16, and also more draw controls, 8-7.

Even though she couldn’t score, Lakosky paced Northern with three draw controls as teammate Katelyn Wozney had two, while Esposito had six ground balls in goal and Sophie Langsdale three out on the field.

Additionally, NMU’s Natalie Thomas had three caused turnovers and Wozney and Langsdale two apiece.

Grand Valley was led by Ella Boose with six goals as she took just eight shots, seven of them on goal, adding three draw controls.

NMU 14, Davenport 6

Making the short drive over to Grand Rapids on Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats were locked in a pitched battle for the game’s first 17 minutes before pulling away throughout the second and third quarters.

Lakosky found her shooting touch again on this day, pumping in seven goals as she took a dozen shots with nine of them on goal.

She also had seven ground balls, five draw controls and two caused turnovers, stats the Wildcats dominated in — Northern held a 31-15 total shots advantage, including 19-11 in shots on goal, then won the turnover contest with fewer, 24-19, and more ground balls, 28-21, and draw controls, 13-10.

Lorinser had another three-goal hat trick, while Carrico also had three points on two goals and an assist. Hannah Grimm and Abby Sisson also scored once each for the Wildcats, while Hannah Jabas picked up an assist.

Wozney had four draw controls and Taylor Roberts three, while Northern’s Evita Weiche had two caused turnovers as a bunch of Wildcats had multiple ground balls — Langsdale had four, Weiche and Mya Snyder three apiece, and Thomas, Annabelle Johnson and Krista Pascavis two each.

Gabby Basha paced the Panthers with two goals and an assist as Esposito made eight saves in the NMU net and DU counterpart Isabelle Bonillo had nine.

The teams traded goals during the first quarter, then again in the first two minutes of the second quarter. Lakosky tied the score 1-1 with a goal 4:06 in, while Lorinser knotted it 2-2 with a goal with 4:07 remaining in the opening period.

Still tied entering quarter No. 2, Lakosky united it 1:01 in before DU retied it 3-3 just 56 seconds later.

That’s when the Wildcats really went to work. Not only allowing just one goal over the next 2 1/2 quarters, the NMU offense also got to work. Back-to-back-to-back tallies by Sisson, Lakosky and Carrico 5:20 apart made it 6-4 at halftime, while a goal by Lorinser and two by Lakosky went unanswered by the Panthers in the third to make Northern’s bulge 9-4 entering the final period.

And Grimm, Lakosky and Lorinser got three goals to open the fourth for an unassailable 12-4 lead with 6:02 left.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases

reviewing the games. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.