Women's Lacrosse Falls on the Road Against St. Ambrose

Davenport, Iowa, (April 9, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's lacrosse teams traveled to Davenport, Iowa for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against St. Ambrose (Iowa).  Both teams fell in their contests, Wednesday evening.

Play in the women's game started with a goal scored quickly after the opening draw, as St. Ambrose moved ahead, 1-0.  Less than two minutes later, SAU added to its lead, then tacked on another goal with nearly five minutes off the clock to make it a 3-0 score.  Both teams had shots on goal over the next stretch, as Freshman Midfielder Ainsley Miller (Maryville, Tenn.) had an attempt saved, and Freshman Goalkeeper Audrey Connolly (Houston, Texas) made one save midway through the quarter.  The Vikings gained control two minutes later and cut into their deficit.  Sophomore Midfielder Hailey Davis (Maryville, Tenn.) set up Freshman Midfielder Ava Graham (Pearland, Texas) with the team's opening goal to trail 3-1 with just over five minutes to play in the quarter.  Two minutes later, the deficit shrunk on a goal from Davis, set up by Graham.  St. Ambrose responded near the two-minute mark, with another goal.  Connolly made one more save in the quarter, as MVC trailed, 4-2.

The second quarter began with an early shot created by SAU, and Connolly made another save.  Missouri Valley gained possession on a ground ball collected by Senior Midfielder Allexis Lark (Alma, Mo.).  Moments later, Graham scored off another Davis assist, and the Vikings closed the gap to 4-3 with just over two minutes played.  St. Ambrose answered, and widened its advantage to 6-3 through the 10-minute mark.  The two teams traded possession over a long stretch of play in the quarter.  Connolly made two saves, and eventually MVC gained possession with three-minutes to play before the break.  The possession ended on a goal from Miller, with Lark registering the assist.  However, the final minutes featured two more late goals for SAU, and the Vikings went into halftime trailing, 9-4.

Missouri Valley started the third quarter by working back into the contest.  Connolly made two saves in the first minute of play after the restart, but MVC countered on a goal from Sophomore Attack Atleigh Lark (Alma, Mo.), from a Graham assist, then Freshman Midfielder Tiyanna Thomas (Hampton, Ga.) added a free-position goal near the 11-minute mark to put the deficit at 9-6.  Possession was traded by the teams over the next five minutes.  Connolly made one save, and SAU also hit the post with a shot.  St. Ambrose eventually came through with goals, scoring twice as the clock went under six minutes to play to put the team's lead at 11-6.  The Vikings got one of those goals back, near the four-minute mark, as Davis scored again.  Connolly made three more saves through the rest of play in the third quarter, as MVC sat in an 11-7 deficit.

The fourth quarter draw was controlled by Davis, who worked down the field, and scored with less than one minute played, as the gap was cut to 11-8.  St. Ambrose took control from there, and scored four goals through the midway point of the quarter to hold a 15-8 lead.  Davis responded with two goals late in the quarter, while Allexis Lark added one goal.  However, SAU maintained its advantage, and the Vikings eventually fell, 17-11.

Davis led with five goals and two assists, while Graham had two goals and two assists.  Atleigh Lark had one goal and two assists, and Allexis Lark added one goal and one assist.  Both Miller and Thomas scored one goal apiece.  Connolly made 14 saves in goal.  Missouri Valley forced 25 turnovers and came down with 12 draw controls.

The loss drops Missouri Valley to 4-9 overall and 2-6 in the Heart.  St. Ambrose improves to 6-6 on the season and 5-3 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking women's lacrosse team will host Midland (Neb.) to close the regular season, Friday at 4 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  Missouri Valley topped the Warriors back on March 29, 22-8 on the road.

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.