ST. PAUL, Minn. - This week, No. 3 seed Concordia-St. Paul women's lacrosse (6-9) embarks on its postseason quest, heading to Allendale, Michigan and the campus of Grand Valley State University to face the No. 2 seed Northern Michigan (10-6) with a semifinal contest on Friday, April 28 at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET.
WEEKEND WEATHER OUTLOOK
This weekend features a projected shift in weather conditions between Friday and Sunday's forecast. Friday features a high of 65 degrees and an 11mph ESE wind with a slight chance of rain. On Sunday, temperatures cool to a high of 50 with morning showers clearing in the afternoon and WNW wind at 10-20mph.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The GLIAC Tournament consists of two semifinals played on Friday and a championship game between the semifinal winners on Sunday, all on the campus of regular season champion and top seed #16 Grand Valley State. While the Golden Bears face the Wildcats in the 3/2 matchup, the Lakers will host Davenport in the second semifinal. The championship game will be played on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET.
More information about the tournament will be available on the
GLIAC Tournament website.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Golden Bears are making their third trip to the GLIAC Tournament, holding a 1-2 all-time postseason record. This marks the second year in a row that CSP has earned the No. 3 seed in the GLIAC Tournament. In 2019 in their first GLIAC Tournament appearance as the No. 4 seed, CSP hosted a quarterfinal round game, defeating No. 5 seed Davenport at Sea Foam Stadium before falling at top seed and semifinal/championship host #11 Indianapolis in the semifinals.
2019
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Concordia-St. Paul 15, No. 5 Davenport 9 (St. Paul, Minn.)
Semifinals: No. 1 #11 Indianapolis 21, No. 4 Concordia St. Paul 3 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
2022
Semifinals: No. 2 Davenport 14, No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul 13 (Allendale, Mich.)
2023
Semifinals: No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul vs. No. 2 Northern Michigan (Allendale, Mich.)
SERIES HISTORY: CONCORDIA 7, NORTHERN MICHIGAN 5
The Golden Bears hold the edge in the all-time series 7-5 heading into the 13th meeting and the first postseason contest between the squads. Concordia won the first six games in the series before NMU turned the tables by winning five of the last seven including two in a row. The teams have never met at a neutral site.
This year, NMU swept the regular season series by small margins, defeating CSP 13-11 in Marquette, Michigan before picking up an 11-7 win over CSP on a cold, rainy/snowy day in St. Paul on April 16 in the first game played outdoors between the two teams.
CSP IN THE NCAA/GLIAC RANKINGS
Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Golden Bears are in the top-2 in the GLIAC in several team statistics, below is a breakdown with national ranking in ( ).
- 1st - .466 saves percentage (17th NCAA)
- 1st - 19.07 ground balls per game (33rd NCAA)
- 1st - 9.67 caused turnovers per game (35th NCAA)
- 2nd - .456 shot percentage (43rd NCAA)
- 2nd - .426 free position percentage (60th NCAA)
CSP PLAYERS IN THE NCAA/GLIAC RANKINGS
Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Golden Bears are featured among the league leaders in the following statistical categories with national ranking in ( ).
NOTABLE CAREER HISTORICAL STATISTICS
Golden Bear players who rank among the all-time CSP lacrosse career totals listed below. Please note, averages and percentages are subject to change in either direction.
- 1st - Candace McDole, 8.76 saves per game (29 games, 2022-23)
- 1st - Candace McDole, .443 save percentage (319 GA, 254 saves, 2022-23)
- 1st - Maddy Huebner, 10.58 goals against average (184 GA, 1044 min, 2021-23)
- 2nd - Candace McDole, 3.07 ground balls per game (29 games, 2022-23)
- 2nd - Candace McDole, 254 saves (2022-23)
- 2nd - Maddy Huebner, 10 goalie wins (10-8-0, 2021-23)
- 3rd - Candace McDole, 89 ground balls (2022-23)
- 3rd - Maddy Huebner, 134 saves (2021-23)
- 3rd - Maddy Huebner, .421 save percentage (184 GA, 134 saves, 2021-23)
- 3rd - Candace McDole, 13.43 goals against average (319 GA, 1426 min, 2022-23)
- 3rd - Candace McDole, 6 goalie wins (6-17-0, 2022-23)
- 5th - Meghan McGowan, 1.63 ground balls per game (27 games, 2022-23)
- 5th - Hailey Hartlage, 1.63 ground balls per game (27 games, 2021-23)
- 5th - Hailey Hartlage, 2.00 draw controls per game (27 games, 2021-23)
- 5th - Hailey Hartlage, 1.00 caused turnovers per game (27 games, 2021-23)
- 6th - Hailey Hartlage, 2.30 shots per game (27 games, 2021-23)
- 7th - Meghan McGowan, 0.96 caused turnovers per game (27 games, 2022-23)
- 8th - Taylor Preece, 1.28 points per game (29 games, 2022-23)
- 8th - Lauren Sheets, 43 goals (2023)
- 8th - Hailey Hartlage, 54 draw controls (2021-23)
- 9th - Taylor Preece, 0.83 goals per game (29 games, 2022-23)
- 9th - Taylor Preece, 0.45 assists per game (29 games, 2022-23)
- 9th - Hailey Hartlage, 1.44 shots on goal per game (27 games, 2021-23)
- 9th - Maddie Westberg, 0.82 caused turnovers per game (33 games, 2022-23)
- 10th - Hailey Hartlage, 0.81 goals per game (27 games, 2021-23)
- 10th - Maddy Huebner, 53 ground balls (2021-23)
- 10th - Maddie Westberg, 0.94 draw controls per game (33 games, 2022-23)
NOTABLE SEASON HISTORICAL STATISTICS
Golden Bear players with season totals among the top in CSP program history. Please note, averages and percentages are subject to change in either direction.
- 2nd - Candace McDole, 133 saves
- 2nd - Candace McDole, .457 save percentage
- 4th - Lauren Sheets, 43 goals
- 6th - Candace McDole, 43 ground balls
- 6th - Candace McDole, 13.50 goals against average
- 6th - Candace McDole, 4 wins
- 7th - Lauren Sheets, 52 points
- 7th - Maddy Huebner, 2 wins
- 9th - Kayleigh Nelson, 12 assists
- 9th - Claire Flahaven, 20 caused turnovers
- 10th - Susie Monson, 38 draw controls
NOTABLE GAME HISTORICAL STATISTICS
Golden Bears who had single game standout performances this season, cracking the program leaderboard.
- 2nd - 19 saves, Candace McDole, vs Grand Valley State (3/24/23)
- 2nd - 10 ground balls, Candace McDole, vs Grand Valley State (3/24/23)
- 3rd - 9 ground balls, Candace McDole, vs Indianapolis (2/11/23)
- 5th - 4 assists, Morgan Haapala, vs. UW-Stout (3/14/23)
- 7th - 7 points, achieved three times this season (Taylor Preece, Lauren Sheets, Lauren Sheets)
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
The Wildcats have put together their best season in program history, achieving a single-season wins record with a 10-6 overall season, topping last year's 9-8 overall finish, and their only winning record in GLIAC play at 4-2.
They are led offensively by Minnie Bittell's 59 points on 45 goals and 14 assists, leading the team in all three categories. Two others, Katilyn Bridger (37g) and Madi Bast (30g) have topped 30 goals with Bridger adding 11 assists as she's two points shy of 50. The Wildcats have eight players with at least 12 points and seven players with at least 11 goals on the season.
On the draw, Bittell leads the team with 74 draw controls while Lauryn Rygiel adding 51 as NMU has a 235-187 advantage on draw controls on the year over their opponents.
Rygiel also leads the team with 14 cauesd turnovers, two more than Bittell's 12 while the two players are among the top on the team in ground balls, as well, with Rygiel adding 19 and Bittell 17.
Goalie Hannah Melander leads the team with 23 ground balls and has started all 16 games in the cage, securing 130 saves with an 11.82 goals against average and .430 save percentage. She's played in 873 of the team's 950 minutes in goal.
