Women’s lacrosse team ends season with 15-10 win at Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Olivet College women's lacrosse team closed out the 2014 season by defeating Kalamazoo College, 15-10, today at Mackenzie Field in Kalamazoo.

Junior Mackenzie Inman (Union City) put the Comets on the scoreboard first before the Hornets scored three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead. Olivet responded with a 4-0 scoring run to take a 5-3 lead and did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. During the run, Inman scored the first two goals. Junior Geri Merrell (Battle Creek/Lakeview) had a free-position goal, which was her 100th collegiate goal, and junior Taylor Guarnaccia (East Lansing/Haslett) scored an unassisted tally.

Kalamazoo got another goal to close to within one, 5-4, but Olivet ended the half on a 3-0 run to take an 8-4 lead at the break. The Comets' scoring run continued into the second half, as they scored the first four goals for a 12-4 lead. The teams exchanged the next four goals before the Hornets netted four of the final five goals of the game.

Inman and Merrell each scored six goals. Inman also had one assist for seven points, which is the third-most in school history for a game. Guarnaccia tallied three goals. Freshman Xavier Vance (West Bloomfield) faced 37 shots in goal and made 17 saves.

The Comets finish the season with a 4-12 overall record. The four wins are the most for a season in their short four-year history as a varsity program. Inman's six goals allowed her to break the single-season school record, while Merrell's 38 goals ties for the second-most. Inman also had three assists to give her 45 points, which ties the single-season mark. She did break the single-season records for shots attempted (115) and shots on goal (82). Guarnaccia set a single-season record with 45 draw controls and 17 free-position goals, while freshman Nina Morssinkhof (Utrecht, Netherlands / St. Banifatius) recorded a single-season record 15 caused turnovers.