Garza’s eight points lead women’s lacrosse team to 15-13 win over Albion

OLIVET, Mich. – A 6-0 scoring run midway through the first half helped the Olivet College women's lacrosse team beat Albion College, 15-13, this evening at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. In addition, freshman Mimi Garza (Battle Creek/Pennfield) tied the Olivet single-game record with eight points and 12 shots, while freshman Geri Merrell (Battle Creek/Lakeview) broke the single-game school record with three assists.

The teams traded the first four goals of the game. The Britons took their first lead of the game, 3-2, at the 25:26 mark. Olivet then went on its decisive 6-0 run, with Garza scoring half of the goals and Merrell, sophomore Alyssa Meny (Marshall) and senior Cortney Wernette (Remus/Chippewa Hills) each scoring one from the 24:54 mark to the 9:35 mark.

Wernette added another goal five minutes later to make the score 9-3. Albion scored the three goals in the final 40 seconds of the first half to trim its deficit in half, 9-6, at the break. In the second half, the Comets led by as many as five goals and the Britons never got closer than two goals.

Olivet finished the game with a season-high 43 shots, including 12 for Garza. Half of her shots found the back of the net. Merrell had three goals to go along with her three assists for six points. Wernette and freshman Taylor Guarnaccia (East Lansing/Haslett) scored two goals apiece, while Meny and senior Cara VanDam (Grand Rapids/City) each had one. Between the pipes, freshman Sarah Shaw (Grand Haven) played all 60 minutes and made 13 saves, while facing 27 shots.