Northern Michigan University’s Josie Lakosky, right, goes for a scoop of the ball with Colorado-Colorado Springs’ Danica Rodriguez trailing during their college lacrosse game played in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The women’s lacrosse team at Northern Michigan University left home for the first time this week and found out how unfriendly it can be away from the Superior Dome.

Entering the stretch with a perfect 4-0 record, the Wildcats lost two of three matches all played at rather high altitudes in Colorado and now stands with a still good-looking 5-2 record.

NMU remains on the road next week, though it will be quite a bit closer to home and in thicker air, as the Wildcats travel to Ohio to face Ashland at noon Friday, then head over to the University of Indianapolis at noon on Sunday, March 15.

After that, Northern comes home to the dome to open its season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. On the first day of spring, March 20, the Wildcats host Saginaw Valley State at 5 p.m.

Here are details from this past week’s games:

NMU 9, Colo. Mesa 7

On Monday at Grand Junction, Northern got its road trip off to a good start, able to overcome falling behind for all but 44 seconds of the first half and not taking the lead for good until the fourth quarter.

Top scorer Josie Lakosky added another hat trick to her total this season, scoring three goals and adding an assist for four points. Teammate Vanessa Carrico also had a three-goal hat trick.

The Wildcats’ Avery Lorinser scored two goals as Emily Radke had one, while Hannah Jabas, Annabelle Johnson and Abby Sisson each had an assist.

Lakosky did more than score, though, winning seven draw controls and causing two turnovers, while defender Natalie Thomas had three ground balls and caused three turnovers.

NMU held a 22-16 advantage in shots on goal even as both teams took 26 total shots. Wildcats junior netminder Lauren Esposito made nine saves as her Mavericks counterpart Heather Hawkins had 13.

Though Colorado Mesa is just 1-5 this season, the Mavs were co-champions of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last year and a preseason favorite to repeat this year. They were coming off a one-goal win over No. 16 Florida Tech, too.

After Lorinser scored not quite two minutes in to even the score 1-1, Mesa put up two goals within three minutes of Lorinser’s to make it 3-1.

The teams alternated goals for the rest of the first half, Lakosky getting both of NMU’s, as it stood 4-3 Mavericks at halftime.

After Mesa upped its advantage to two a couple minutes into the second half, NMU reeled off four straight tallies in the next 11 minutes to assume a 7-5 lead. Radke and Lakosky led off the streak before Carrico scored two goals barely 90 seconds apart to finish the spree.

While Colorado Mesa eventually retied the score 7-7 in the first two minutes of the fourth period, Carrico and Lorinser got goals after that to provide the final cushion.

Well, actually that and a couple of saves by Esposito on free position shots by the Mavericks in the final minutes.

Colo.-Colorado Springs 11, NMU 10

On Wednesday at Colorado Springs, the Wildcats were unable to protect a first-half lead as the Mountain Lions (1-1) scored eight straight goals starting early in the second quarter.

Johnson led the Northern offense with a three-goal hat trick and an assist for four points. Jabas and Carrico each scored twice, Jabas adding two assists for a four-point day.

Lakosky had just one goal, but added in two assists for three points, while Lorinser and Katelyn Wozney also scored a goal.

Lakosky had three of NMU’s five draw controls, while Evita Weiche had five ground balls and Esposito six.

Esposito made eight saves as the Wildcats were outshot 19-16 in shots on goal and 30-19 in total shots.

Jabas scored goals 46 seconds apart and Carrico and Lorinser added ones of their own to stake Northern to a 4-1 lead before the second quarter was a minute old.

But that’s when UCCS struck, and struck hard, popping in six unanswered goals by the end of the half for a 7-4 lead at intermission, then getting two more in the first three minutes of the third quarter to open up a 9-4 advantage.

NMU didn’t give up, however, edging closer mainly on four straight goals over nine minutes by the middle of the fourth period that pulled the visitors within one, 10-9.

With the Mountain Lions getting a goal with 5:07 left, Northern head coach Lindsey Majkrzak called a timeout with the clock running down. It worked, as Lakosky got her only goal of the day with 40 seconds left to make it a one-goal game again.

Another timeout was tried, but a last-gasp shot went wide to end the Wildcats’ undefeated campaign.

Regis 14, NMU 6

On Thursday at Denver, this was a game originally scheduled for Friday but moved up a day due to expected winter weather, forcing the Wildcats to play three games in four days at elevations ranging from 4,500 to 6,000 feet.

The finale of the road trip was against a 3-2 Regis team that is ranked No. 16 and No. 17 in the NCAA Division II in several polls.

For the second straight day, Northern got off to a fast start, Lakosky scoring the first goal with two more tallies scored 37 seconds apart by Jabas and teammate Hannah Grimm to make it 3-1 NMU less than six minutes in.

The Wildcats used five straight draw controls to build that lead.

But it all came crashing down soon after, with Regis scoring four straight and 10 of the next 11 goals to make it 5-3 Rangers after one quarter, 7-4 at halftime and 11-4 by the middle of the third.

NMU had two goals in the second half, both by Lakosky, but that wasn’t nearly enough as the visitors were outshot 25-21 in shots on goal and 29-26 in total shots.

Esposito made 11 saves as Regis counterpart Brigit Goetsch had 15.

Lakosky was back to a hat trick with an assist for four points, though she needed 15 shots to get that. Radke, Grimm and Jabas each had a goal, too.

Lakosky also had eight draw controls, nearly half of Northern’s 17, as teammate Taylor Roberts had most of the rest with six.

Weiche had three ground balls, Krista Pascavis two ground balls and three caused turnovers, and Carrico two ground balls and two caused turnovers.

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.