The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team returns home for a Saturday night Mid-American Conference matchup with the Robert Morris Colonials for its first outdoor home game of the season at Farmers National Bank Field.  The opening draw is set for 6 p.m.

There are three giveaways for fans who attend Saturday evening's contest. First, there will be a YSU key chain giveaway for fans courtesy of Key Kutterz. Also, the first 50 fans in attendance can get a specialized house key cut by members of the Key Kutterz staff who will be on site. Lastly, there will be a Chick-fil-A sandwich giveaway to the first 50 YSU students in attendance at the game.

Live stats of the game can be followed along with at YSUSports.com. The game will also be broadcast on the YSUSports YouTube channel.

Last Time Out

The Penguins are coming off a 19-6 defeat against Eastern Michigan last Sunday, Mar. 23 in Ypsilanti, Mich. This was the second consecutive loss for the Penguins.

Ava Kreutzer was the lone Penguin to score multiple goals, as she tied a season-high with three. This was her third hat trick of the season, and seventh consecutive game that she has netted multiple goals, the longest streak for any Penguin this season.

Katie Grottenthaler, Grace Rund, and Genna Cooke scored the other three goals on the day for the Penguins.

Grottenthaler also led the squad with three draw controls.

Lena Cox had a team-high two assists on the day.

Tori Bustamante had a stellar game statistically, as she set a new season-high with six ground balls, while also tying a season-high with four caused turnovers.

Liz Amos and Brooke Harper each got playing time in the cage. Harper, who started the game, played 43 minutes, saving four shots and allowing 13 goals. Amos played 16 minutes, saving three shots and allowing six goals.

YSU got off to a quick start offensively, controlling the game's opening draw and pushing the ball up the field, capitalizing the possession with a Grace Rund goal just 43 seconds into the contest. That was the last lead that the Penguins would hold during the game, though, as Eastern Michigan's offense sparked with the next three goals to make the score 3-1 at the 4:45 mark of the quarter. Ava Kreutzer brought YSU back within one goal as she fired a quick shot off a pass from Lena Cox, making the score 3-2 with just under three minutes to go in the opening quarter, but the Eagles returned the favor just 51 seconds later, making the score 4-2, which is where it stood at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was much of the same, as each time the Penguins tried to grasp momentum, the Eagles would quickly answer the blows dealt by YSU. EMU scored the quarter's first three goals, making the score 7-2 with 11:36 remaining in the quarter. Kreutzer scored her second goal of the game at the 10:32 mark of the quarter, putting an end to Eastern Michigan's four-goal run dating back to the opening quarter. The Eagles answered Kreutzer's goal with one of their own just 28 seconds later to push the score to 8-3. Katie Grottenthaler netted her lone goal of the game at the 8:48 mark to bring YSU back within four, but the Eagles extended their lead once again 58 seconds later, making the score 9-4. Genna Cooke would score the final goal of the second quarter for the Penguins with 5:10 remaining, but the Eagles would add two more goals before the break, making the score 11-5.

After a quick green card was given to YSU in the early stages of the third quarter, Eastern Michigan opened up the second half scoring with a goal at the 14:20 mark. Kreutzer netted her third goal of the game with 13:09 remaining in the third quarter, but that would be the last goal that YSU would score. The Eagles would add two more goals in the third quarter and would also outscore YSU 5-0 in the fourth quarter to win the game 19-6.

Though the score was lopsided, Youngstown State had its fair share of opportunities offensively, but was unable to capitalize. Recapping the shooting statistics, the Penguins had 26 shots, 14 of which came on goal, compared to 34 shots for EMU, with 26 coming on goal.

The Penguins also played a particularly clean game offensively, only turning the ball over 13 times, which is two under their season average. Eastern Michigan had 18 turnovers during the game.

The difference in the game was vastly due to the difference in draw controls, with the Eagles dominating the Penguins, 23-5 throughout the game, and 10-1 in the second quarter alone.

About Robert Morris

The Eagles enter Saturday's contest with a 3-7 record overall and a 1-0 record in MAC play. RMU defeated Old Dominion 11-10 in overtime on Wednesday in Moon Township. Their lone decision in conference play thus far was a 10-9 victory over Eastern Michigan on Mar. 16.

Looking back at their victory vs. Old Dominion on Wednesday, both teams overcame three-goal deficits during regulation, before needing extra time to decide a winner.

ODU started the game very strong offensively, leading 3-1 at the end of the first quarter, and holding a 4-1 edge halfway through the second quarter. The Colonials put an end to the run with a Vivian LaMange goal at the 7:03 mark, before Old Dominion added another goal before the break, leading 5-2 at the break.

RMU came out of the locker room very hungry, scoring all six goals of the third quarter, and completely flipping the script to take an 8-5 lead into the fourth quarter. The third quarter stretch included three straight goals from Mia Berthoff.

The teams traded goals to begin the fourth quarter, and a Robert Morris goal from Jenna Irwin with 4:32 remaining gave the Colonials a 10-8 lead. Old Dominion brought the deficit down to one with 3:43 left and scored the game-tying goal with just 14 seconds remaining on the fourth quarter clock.

After a defensive battle in the overtime period, Gia Anthony scored the game-winning goal with just 8 seconds remaining on the clock.

Jenna Irwin led the way for the Colonials with four goals, while Mia Berthoff secured three goals during the game.

Berthoff and Jenna Evans tied a team-high with two caused turnovers each.

Megan Shepley recorded the victory in the cage, saving five shots on the day.

There was a big difference between the two teams when it came to free position shooting, as RMU was a perfect 3-for-3, while ODU was just 4-for-11, including 2-for-7 in the first half.

Colonials Stat Leaders Through 10 Games

Points – Jenna Irwin (29)

Goals – Jenna Irwin (25)

Assists – Vivian LaMange (18)

Ground Balls – Madison Prietz (27)

Caused Turnovers – Madison Prietz (15)

Draw Controls – Jenna Irwin (41)

Saves – Sydney Riker (51)

Series History

This will be the 10th meeting all-time between the Penguins and the Colonials, with RMU leading the series 9-1.  The Colonials have won each of the last five meetings, including a 17-6 victory over the Penguins last season on Apr. 13, 2024, in Moon Township.

Looking back at last year's meeting, Robert Morris held a 7-4 lead at halftime, before outscoring YSU 10-2 in the second half en route to their victory.

Lena Cox and Katie Grottenthaler led the Penguins offensively with two goals each.

Genna Cooke had five draw controls, which was a season-high for her during the 2024 season.

A Win Would

• Give YSU a 6-5 overall record, and a 3-4 record at home this season.
• Snap a two-game losing streak
• Be YSU's first win this season vs. a member of the Mid-American Conference
• Be YSU's second win over Robert Morris in program history, and they're first over the Colonials at home.
• Give Head Coach Rob Harris his sixth win at YSU, and his 109th career win.

Red-Hot Stretch For Kreutzer

Ava Kreutzer has been on a tear offensively as of late for the Penguins and is coming off a three-goal performance vs. Eastern Michigan last Sunday.

Her three goals tied a season-high and marked the third time this season that she has garnered a hat trick.

Last Sunday also marked the seventh game in a row that she has scored at least two goals, which is the longest streak of her career. To put the numbers into context, she only had six games altogether last season where she scored at least two goals, and her longest stretch of multiple-goal performances was just two games, which occurred twice.

Penguins on Fire from the Free Position

Youngstown State has heavily taken advantage of its free position opportunities this season, as it currently ranks second in the nation in free position shot percentage at 59.7% (40-for-67), only trailing Colgate, which leads at 60.5% (26-for-43).

The Penguins rank in a tie for fourth in the nation in free position goals with 40, and are tied with San Diego State, Pittsburgh, and Navy.

Penguins Rank Highly Across the MAC in Many Categories

Youngstown State has shone across the MAC in many statistical categories through early this season.

Caused Turnovers – 99 (1st MAC)

• The Penguins rank 23rd nationally in caused turnovers per game (9.90)

Goals Scored – 137 (1st MAC)

Draw Controls – 138 (2nd MAC)

Grottenthaler Leads the Offensive Attack

Sophomore Katie Grottenthaler has had an exceptional start to her sophomore season, leading the Penguins and ranking third in the MAC with 29 goals through 10 games. She has already eclipsed her goal total from her freshman season when she scored 17 goals in 16 games.

If the season ended today, her 29 goals would already rank in a tie for seventh in program history in single-season goals.

Grottenthaler also ranks third in the MAC in draw controls per game with 52, and fifth in draw controls with 52.

Cox's Field Vision is Superb

Sophomore Lena Cox has done an exceptional job setting up goals this season for the Penguins, as she is tied for the MAC lead in both assists with 18 and assists per game with 1.80.

Cox is tied for first in both categories with Vivian LaMange from Robert Morris, who the Penguins will be playing Saturday evening.

She has tied her career-high with three assists in three of the last six games.

She recorded two assists last time out vs. Eastern Michigan, which was the seventh multi-assist game of the season for her.

Bustamante Spearheads the Defense

Sophomore Tori Bustamante has had an exceptional first season in Youngstown after transferring from Molloy University, as she currently leads the MAC in both caused turnovers (23) and caused turnovers per game (2.30).

She has six more caused turnovers than the second-highest total in the conference.

Looking at her numbers from a national scale, Bustamante ranks 11th in total caused turnovers and 14th in caused turnovers per game.

She has had a season-high of four caused turnovers three times this season, including back-to-back performances in the Penguins' last two games.

She is also tied for the team lead in ground balls with 25.

Penguins Statistical Leaders

Points:

1. Lena Cox - 35

2. Katie Grottenthaler – 33

3. Ava Kreutzer – 20

Goals:

1. Katie Grottenthaler – 29

2. Ava Kreutzer – 20

3. Lena Cox – 17

Assists:

1. Lena Cox – 18

2. Mia Yuris – 5

3. Katie Grottenthaler – 4

Ground Balls:

1. Tori Bustamante – 25

2. Katie Grottenthaler – 20

3. Grace Rund – 14

Caused Turnovers:

1. Tori Bustamante – 23

2. Mackenzie Flannigan – 13

3. Molly Sheridan – 10

Draw Controls:

1. Katie Grottenthaler – 52

2. Genna Cooke – 21

3. Ava Kreutzer - 20

MAC Weekly Award Selections:

Katie Grottenthaler, Offensive Player of the Week (3-11)

Lena Cox – Co-Offensive Player of the Week (2-18)

Katie Grottenthaler - Co-Offensive Player of the Week (2-11)

Tara McHugh – Defensive Player of the Week (2-11)

Roster Outlook

Youngstown State boasts a 30-player roster with 17 newcomers and just 13 returnees from the 2024 squad. Five of the 17 newcomers are transfers, while the other 12 are true freshmen.  Seven of the 13 returnees started in at least 10 games last season. The Penguins return five major statistical category leaders from last season, including the team's top attacker from last season, Lena Cox. Cox led the Penguins as a freshman last season in goals (25), assists (10), points (35), and shots on goal (44). YSU also returns Genna Cooke, who led the Penguins in draw controls as a freshman last season with 40.

Class Breakdown:

Freshmen (12): Claire Baenziger, Mary Gasper, Sami Drew, Lexy Koslakiewicz, Jacella Nephew, Meghan McGrath, Tara McHugh, Kaylie Moore, Stella Rohrbaugh, Bailey Doorhy, Liz Amos, Kara Goertz

Sophomores (10): Gwen Bogash, Lena Cox, Mackenzie Flannigan, Katie Grottenthaler, Tori Bustamante, Ava Kreutzer, Grace Rund, Brooke Peck, Mia Yuris, Genna Cooke

Juniors (5): Brooke Harper, Skylar Pigrom, Ally Garrett, Mia Stahl, Emma Hoffman

Seniors (3): Mia Kuzdzal, Molly Sheridan, Grace Manser

First-Year Transfers in Youngstown

Youngstown State was very busy during the offseason transfer portal window, bringing in five talented transfers to help complete this season's roster.

0 Brooke Harper (Jr.) – Previous School: Hood College

Harper started in all 31 games that she appeared in as a goalkeeper over her two seasons at Division III Hood College. She led the Blazers in saves in each season, totaling 117 saves as a freshman in 2023, and 112 saves as a sophomore in 2024. She had 10 performances over her time at Hood College where she corralled double-digit saves, including a career-high 14 saves twice.

She has appeared in nine games thus far, starting five of them. She currently leads the team with 39 saves.

3 Gwen Bogash (So.) – Previous School: Notre Dame College (Ohio)

Bogash burst onto the scene during her freshman season at Division II Notre Dame College in 2024, finishing in a tie for the team lead in goals on the season with 27, while also finishing second on the team in assists with 34. She had eight multi-goal performances on the season, including a season-high eight goals vs. Davis & Elkins on Mar. 27, which tied for the second-most goals scored in a game in program history.

She has appeared in three games this season, including each of the last two. She netted her first goal of the season vs. Akron on Mar. 16.

7 Mackenzie Flannigan (So.) – Previous School: Kent State

Flannigan comes to Youngstown State after spending the 2024 season at fellow MAC school Kent State. She made one appearance last season vs. Cincinnati on Feb. 10. She was named to the Academic All-MAC Team.

She has started in all 10 games this season and currently ranks second on the team in caused turnovers with 13, and she is also ranked in a tie for fifth on the team in ground balls with 13.

12 Tori Bustamante (So.) – Previous School: Molloy University

Bustamante had a sensational freshman season at Division II Molloy University in 2024, as she was named the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Year. She appeared in all 16 games on the season, starting the final nine contests. Bustamante was a very versatile player for the Lions as she contributed both offensively and defensively, totaling 27 points on the season on 18 goals and 9 assists, while also ranking second on the team in ground balls with 35, and fifth on the team in caused turnovers with 18. She scored a goal in 12 contests, including netting a season-high four goals vs. Dist. Columbia on Apr. 20. She collected at least three ground balls in six games.

She has made a major impact for the Penguins through the first 10 games, as she currently leads the MAC with 23 caused turnovers and leads the team in ground balls with 25.

34 Mia Yuris (So.) – Previous School: Notre Dame College (Ohio)

Like fellow Penguin Gwen Bogash, Yuris joined the Youngstown State program after spending the 2024 season at Notre Dame College. She started in her sole appearance of the season vs. Thomas More on Feb. 18, which was the season-opener.

She has appeared in nine games thus far this season and has had two multi-goal performances this season and has dished out an assist in each of the last two games. She has accumulated 12 points on the season, scoring seven goals and dishing out five assists.

Penguins Tied for Sixth in Preseason MAC Poll

Youngstown State was picked to finish in a tie for sixth in the 2025 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference announced on Feb. 5.

2025 MAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Robert Morris (4) - 34 points
2. Central Michigan (2) - 31 points
3. Eastern Michigan (1) - 26 points
4. Kent State - 18 points
5. Detroit Mercy - 16 points
T6. Akron - 11 points
T6. Youngstown State – 11 points

Tournament Champion: Central Michigan - 3, Eastern Michigan - 2, Robert Morris - 2

Guins Return Two Members of 2024 MAC All-Freshman Team

During a 2024 season where multiple young players saw significant playing time, Youngstown State boasted three members of the Mid-American Conference's All-Freshman Team at the season's end, two of whom have made their return to Youngstown for their sophomore seasons. Lena Cox, the team's leader in goals, assists, and points, last season, scored nine goals and dished out five assists in MAC play. Joining Cox on the All-Freshman Team was Katie Grottenthaler, who scored nine of 17 goals on the season during conference play.

Up Next

The Penguins will be back on the road for a matchup with George Washington on Fri. Apr. 4. This is a makeup game that was initially scheduled for Feb. 12 before it was postponed due to inclement weather in the Washington D.C. area.

For news and updates throughout the 2025 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on X .