Women's Lacrosse Sets Program Record in Win at Midland

Fremont, Neb., (March 29, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College lacrosse teams traveled to Fremont, Neb., for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Midland (Neb), Saturday afternoon.  The Viking women's lacrosse team finished with a 22-8 win, setting a new program-record. 

The women's game started with Midland scoring moments after the opening draw, but Missouri Valley followed just over two minutes later with its first goal, as Freshman Midfielder Ava Graham (Pearland, Texas) set up Sophomore Defender Miranda Wilson (Twin Falls, Idaho) with the shot to tie the teams at 1-1.  Both teams traded possession over the next stretch of play, with the Vikings scoring near the nine-minute mark.  Senior Midfielder Allexis Lark (Alma, Mo.) set up Sophomore Attack Kathryn Bonning (Southampton, England) with the goal, and MVC moved in front, 2-1.  Midland again scored moments after a draw and tied the contest at 2-2.  Missouri Valley had the better of possession over the next stretch, and eventually found a go-ahead goal, coming from Sophomore Midfielder Hailey Davis (Maryville, Tenn.), to move ahead once again, 3-2, with just over six minutes to play in the quarter.  Freshman Goalkeeper Audrey Connolly (Houston, Texas) made a save moments later, but Midland tacked one two goals late in the quarter to take a 4-3 lead going into the second quarter.

The second quarter started with a goal scored by Midland, coming with just over two minutes played to stretch the MVC deficit to 5-3.  Missouri Valley responded with a run over the next three minutes, as Davis scored twice, and Sophomore Attack Atleigh Lark (Alma, Mo.) added one goal to push the Vikings on top, 6-5.  Senior Goalkeeper Melissa Sandoval (Weiser, Idaho) made one save near the midway mark in the quarter, and Missouri Valley added to its advantage near the six-minute mark, as Atleigh Lark assisted on an Allexis Lark goal to make it a 7-5 score.  The lead continued to grow late in the quarter, with three goals in the final four minutes.  Graham scored with just over three minutes remaining, and both Atleigh Lark and Allexis Lark scored one goal apiece in the final minute of play to send MVC into halftime on top, 10-5.

Play after halftime began with a six-goal run for Missouri Valley through the midway point of the third quarter.  Allexis Lark had three goals, Davis added two goals and Senior Attack Alena Blachowski (Wauwarosa, Wisc.) scored once to make it a 16-5 advantage.  The two teams traded goals over the final five minutes of play in the third quarter.  Freshman Midfielder Tiyanna Thomas (Hampton, Ga.) and Atleigh Lark added one goal apiece before the quarter came to an end, and the Viking advantage sat at 18-7.  Missouri Valley outscored Midland by a 4-1 margin in the fourth quarter.  Sophomore Attack Rose Szymanski (Southampton, England) added two goals, and both Graham and Davis scored once to help finish out a 22-8 win.

Allexis Lark finished with five goals and six assists, while Davis led with six goals.  Atleigh Lark totaled three goals and one assist, and Graham had two goals and two assists.  Szymanski added two goals and one assist, and Wilson had one goal and two assists.  Connolly and Sandoval combined to make three saves.  Missouri Valley forced 31 turnovers and came up with 44 ground balls.  The 22 goals sets a new program-record for single-game goals scored.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 4-7 overall and 1-4 in the Heart.  Midland falls to 0-6 on the season and 0-4 in the conference.

Up next the women's team will travel to Chicago, Ill., to place NCAA Division III Elmhurst (Ill.), Wednesday at 6 p.m.  The men's team will play on the road, Tuesday, at No. 10 William Penn (Iowa) in a 6 p.m., Heart contest.

Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.