Northern Michigan University players, including leading goal scorer Josie Lakosky, No. 1 at center, celebrate their win after a GLIAC game played against Concordia-St. Paul at the Superior Dome in Marquette on April 26. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — It might still be winter outside, but there’s no cooling off lacrosse player Josie Lakosky when she’s playing in the Superior Dome.

The Northern Michigan University junior matched her career high of eight goals she set just a week earlier in the dome as the Wildcats bounced McKendree 15-5 on Thursday afternoon.

Lakosky, who had an assist for a nine-point day, also led her team in the faceoff circle as she prevailed in seven of NMU’s 16 faceoff wins as the home team had a 16-6 edge in that draw control statistic. It also marked the second fewest draw controls given up by the Wildcats over the past two seasons.

Though it took Northern (4-0) nearly nine minutes to score when Hannah Jabas got the first of two she pumped in during a 10-second span, the Wildcats led throughout after that.

They turned a 2-1 lead into a 7-1 advantage with five straight goals in less than 10 minutes spanning the end of the first and beginning of the second quarters. Lakosky and Vanessa Carrico each had two of those goals.

NMU upped its lead to 11-4 by halftime, stepping off the gas a bit with just one third-quarter goal.

In her first start, Wildcats freshman netminder Hannah Clark made three saves as she faced eight shots; Amber Hayden of McKendree (0-2) stopped 13 shots out of a total 28 faced.

In addition to Lakosky’s record total and Carrico’s back-to-back tallies, Jabas had a second goal as Emily Radke, Hannah Grimm and Avery Lorinser also scored, while teammates Laine Stanton and Abby Sisson recorded an assist.

In addition to its 28-8 advantage in shots on goal, NMU led in total shots 37-14, reaching double digits in all but the third quarter, and finished ahead in ground balls 16-11 and free-position shots 3-1, while making fewer turnovers, 18-13.

Northern’s Natalie Thomas led all players with three ground balls while she and Lakosky each had two caused turnovers. And in addition to Lakosky’s seven draw controls, teammates Taylor Roberts and Evita Weiche had three apiece.

And Lakosky took 20 shots with 17 on goal, and of course, eight of them turning into goals.

The Wildcats play the final contest of a four-game homestand to open the season when they host Lewis University at 1 p.m. Thursday back in the dome. Lewis is 1-1, having faced a pair of GLIAC opponents, defeating Saginaw Valley State and losing to Concordia-St. Paul.

After that, NMU takes to the road for five straight matches, not returning home until the first day of spring, March 20, when its also opens GLIAC play in the Superior Dome against SVSU at 5 p.m.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.