The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team will celebrate its senior class on Saturday afternoon as it takes on Detroit Mercy in the 2025 home finale inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site. The opening draw is set for noon.

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

Last Time Out

The Penguins are coming off their fifth-straight loss, a 13-8 defeat against Central Michigan on Sunday at the CMU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

The Penguins were led offensively by the duo of Katie Grottenthaler and Grace Rund. Grottenthaler netted a team-high three goals, while Rund was right behind her in the goal category with two.

Claire Baenziger, Ava Kreutzer, and Brooke Peck also added one goal each.

Lena Cox, Grottenthaler, and Rund added one assist each during the contest.

Defensively, Mackenzie Flannigan had an outstanding effort. She totaled six ground balls, which marked a new season-high. She also caused four turnovers, which tied a season-high.

All three goalkeepers on the roster saw action during the game. Freshman Liz Amos had all five saves during the game, which tied a season-high for her.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair. YSU got on the board first as Claire Baenziger netted her 17th goal of the season off a pass from Lena Cox just 53 seconds into the game. The Chippewas then scored the next two goals of the contest to take their first lead of the game with 11:07 remaining on the first-quarter clock, scoring both of their goals in a span of 57 seconds. Katie Grottenthaler scored her first goal at the 8:28 mark, which would be the last goal that YSU would score in the opening quarter. CMU would add two more goals to control a 4-2 lead through 15 minutes of play.

The second quarter was a game of runs for each side. The Penguins had theirs first, which began with two goals from Grace Rund, the first at the 14:23 mark, and the second coming with 13:06 remaining, which tied the game at four. Brooke Peck added on to the Penguins' run, scoring her first goal of the contest to give YSU a 5-4 lead with 12:24 remaining in the quarter. All three of YSU's goals at the start of the quarter came over a stretch of less than two full minutes. The rest of the quarter was all Chippewas, as CMU scored the next four goals, coming in two separate offensive bursts. The first two goals came just 61 seconds apart, with the game-tying goal at the 9:12 mark, and the go-ahead goal coming with 8:11 on the clock, and the next two goals coming with 3:47 and 3:14 remaining in the second quarter. YSU would have four shot attempts within the final 54 seconds of the quarter, all of which were unsuccessful, but the Penguins still held possession as the clock hit zero, with Central Michigan taking an 8-5 lead into the locker room.

YSU wasted no time capitalizing on the offensive possession that they held deep in CMU territory heading into the break, as Ava Kreutzer would net her first goal of the game just five seconds into the third quarterThe Chippewas then went on another multi-goal scoring run, answering Kreutzer's goal quickly with one of their own at the 13:34 mark, and then adding two more goals with 10:22 and 6:33 left on the third-quarter clock, bolstering their lead to 11-6. Katie Grottenthaler ended YSU's scoreless drought of over 12 minutes as she scored her second goal of the game with 2:19 left in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 11-7. That is where the score stood, heading into the fourth quarter.

Katie Grottenthaler netted her third goal of the game to kick off the scoring in the fourth quarter with 11:18 remaining, marking the seventh game this season that she has had at least a hat-trick. The Chippewas would add the game's final two goals, winning 13-8.

YSU would outshoot CMU during the game 30-26. 21 of the Penguins' shots were on-goal, compared to 18 for the Chippewas.

Both teams caused nine turnovers throughout the game, while CMU edged out YSU in the draw control battle, 13-10.

About Detroit Mercy

The Titans enter Sunday's contest with a 5-7 record overall and a 2-2 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The Titans have lost their last two games, 13-8 vs. Eastern Michigan on Apr. 6 and 19-11 to Robert Morris on Apr. 12, after starting 2-0 in MAC play.

Looking back at their loss to Robert Morris, it was a game that was tight through the opening three quarters, before Robert Morris was able to catch fire in the fourth quarter to build a sizeable win.

Although UDM's only lead of the game was a 2-1 advantage in the first quarter, the game featured five ties.

UDM scored with just 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter to cut the score to 10-9 heading into the fourth quarter, which was the closest that they would get for the remainder of the game.

After a three-goal run from RMU to begin the fourth quarter, the Titans would score back-to-back goals in a span of 13 seconds, cutting their deficit to two with 9:31 remaining. RMU would go on to score six goals in the final nine minutes, winning 19-11.

Titans Stat Leaders Through 10 Games

Points – Libby Cuckler (36)

Goals – Libby Cuckler, Alyssa Jarvis (24)

Assists – Maddy Camm (15)

Ground Balls – Meredith Leavell (42)

Caused Turnovers – Maddy Camm (21)

Draw Controls – Alyssa Jarvis (48)

Saves – Meredith Leavell (138)

Series History

This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the Penguins and the Titans, with YSU leading the series 4-2. UDM won the lone meeting last season, a 13-8 decision on Mar. 24, 2024, at Titan Field in Detroit. UDM's win snapped a three-game winning streak for the Penguins in the series.

YSU's last victory over the Titans came on Apr. 22, 2023, a 20-8 win over Detroit Mercy on Senior Day inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site.

Looking back at last year's meeting, Detroit Mercy would jump out to an early 2-0 lead and would lead wire-to-wire. The Titans' lead never grew larger than five, and YSU had the deficit down to two at 10-8 with 13:36 remaining in regulation. Ally Garrett led the Penguins with three goals during the contest.

A Win Would

• Give YSU a 6-8 overall record, and a 2-5 record at home this season.
• Mark the third time in program history that YSU has won at least six games
  1. 2022 – 10
  2. 2023 – 6
  3. 2025 - 5
• Snap a five-game losing streak overall, and an 11-game MAC losing streak dating back to 2023.
• Snap a seven-game losing streak in April, dating back to 2023
• Be YSU's first win this season vs. a member of the Mid-American Conference
• Be YSU's first win over Detroit Mercy since 2023
• Give Head Coach Rob Harris his sixth win at YSU, and his 109th career win.

Senior Sendoff for Kuzdzal and Sheridan

Saturday's game will be the final home game of the careers of Mia Kuzdzal and Molly Sheridan as members of the Youngstown State women's lacrosse program.

Both players arrived in Youngstown in 2022 and were part of the Penguins shared MAC Regular Season title during their freshman seasons.

Kuzdzal has been a defensive strong suit during her time in Youngstown, having appeared in 36 games over her career, totaling 15 ground balls and five caused turnovers across her career.

Sheridan, also a defender, is the Penguins' all-time leader in career appearances with 61, having broken the record vs. Robert Morris on Mar. 29. The previous record was 58 appearances, which was held by Jocelyn Fike, a member of the Penguins program from 2021-24.

Aside from her appearances record, Sheridan's career numbers of 66 ground balls and 46 caused turnovers each rank fourth all-time in program history.

Senior Day Déjà vu vs. the Titans

Due to the impending heavy rainfall forecasted for the Youngstown area on Saturday, the Senior Day lacrosse game was forced indoors to the Watson and Tressel Training Site.

This isn't the first time that this has occurred, as on Apr. 22, 2023, the Penguins' home finale, also vs. UDM, was moved indoors. The game resulted in a 20-8 YSU victory, which is the last time that the Penguins have defeated the Titans, won a MAC game, and won in April.

Grottenthaler Reaches Free Position Glory

With her four free-position goals vs. George Washington on Apr. 4, sophomore Katie Grottenthaler moved into first place in program history in single-season free-position goals with 19.

The old record was 17, set by Ali Korin during the 2022 season.

She also ranks in a tie for second place in career FPG with 23, trailing just Ali Korin (2022-23) and Erin Clark (2021-23), who are tied for the career record with 27.

Grottenthaler's 19 FPG and 1.46 FPG/G on the season both currently rank third in the country.

Penguins on Fire from the Free Position

Overall, Youngstown State has heavily taken advantage of its free position opportunities this season. The Penguins currently rank second in the nation in free-position shot percentage at 58.3% (49-for-84). Albany leads the country in that category at 62.5% (30-for-48).

The Penguins rank in a tie for seventh in the nation in free-position goals with 47.

Penguins Rank Highly Across the MAC in Goals Scored and Caused Turnovers

Youngstown State has shone across the MAC both offensively and defensively this season.

Goals Scored – 168 (1st MAC)

Caused Turnovers – 127 (1st MAC)

• The Penguins rank 27th nationally in caused turnovers per game (9.77)

Grottenthaler Leads the Offensive Attack

Sophomore Katie Grottenthaler has had an exceptional sophomore season. She leads the Penguins and ranks third in the MAC with 37 goals through 13 games. She has eclipsed her goal total from her freshman season when she scored 17 goals in 16 games.

If the season ended today, her 37 goals would already rank fourth in program history in single-season goals.

Grottenthaler also ranks fourth in the MAC in draw controls per game with 4.62.

Cox's Field Vision is Superb

Sophomore Lena Cox has done an exceptional job setting up goals this season for the Penguins, as she ranks second in the MAC in both assists with 21 and assists per game with 1.62.

Cox also ranks sixth in the MAC in total points with 40, as she has scored 19 goals to go along with her 21 assists.

If the season ended today, her 21 assists would rank fourth in program history in single-season assists.

Bustamante Spearheads the Defense

Sophomore Tori Bustamante has had an outstanding first season in Youngstown after transferring from Molloy University, as she currently leads the MAC in both caused turnovers (29) and caused turnovers per game (2.23).

She has five more caused turnovers than any other player in the conference, and she is the only player in the MAC averaging at least 2.00 CT/G.

Bustamante has caused at least three turnovers six times this season, and has garnered a season-high four CT on four occasions.

Looking at her numbers from a national scale, Bustamante ranks in a tie for 14th in caused turnovers per game, and she is in a tie for 19th in total caused turnovers.

She also leads the team in ground balls with 29.

If the season ended today, her 29 caused turnovers would rank second in program history in single-season CT. The record is held by Natalie Calandra-Ryan, who had 37 CT in 2022.

Penguins Statistical Leaders

Points:

1. Katie Grottenthaler - 42

2. Lena Cox – 40

3. Brooke Peck – 26

Goals:

1. Katie Grottenthaler – 37

2. Ava Kreutzer – 23

3. Brooke Peck – 21

Assists:

1. Lena Cox – 21

T-2. Mia Yuris – 5

T-2. Brooke Peck – 5

T-2. Katie Grottenthaler - 5

Ground Balls:

1. Tori Bustamante – 29

T-2. Katie Grottenthaler – 22

T-2. Mackenzie Flannigan – 22

Caused Turnovers:

1. Tori Bustamante – 29

2. Mackenzie Flannigan – 20

3. Molly Sheridan – 12

Draw Controls:

1. Katie Grottenthaler – 60

2. Grace Rund – 35

3. Genna Cooke - 23

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 12 games this season, starting in eight. She currently leads the team with 54 saves, including a season-high 11 saves vs. Robert Morris in YSU's last home game on Mar. 29.

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 five games this season, including starting the last two games, which are her first two starts of the season. She netted her lone 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 appeared in all 13 games this season, starting in 12, and currently ranks in a tie for second on the team in ground balls with 22, and she also ranks second on the team in caused turnovers with 20. She had a season-high six ground balls and also tied a season-high with four caused turnovers against Central Michigan in the last game on Apr. 11.

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 12 games, as she currently leads the MAC with 29 caused turnovers and leads the team in ground balls with 29.

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 11 games thus far this season and has had two multi-goal performances this season. She has accumulated 12 points total, 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 wrap up the 2025 season next Saturday, Apr. 26, on the road at Kent State. The opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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