Youngstown State University
Kent State
Penguins Close Out 2025 Season on Saturday at Kent State
4/25/2025 12:39:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team will wrap up its 2025 season on Saturday when it makes the short trip to Kent, Ohio, to take on the Kent State Golden Flashes at Dix Stadium. The opening draw is set for 1 p.m.
Live stats of the game can be followed along with at YSUSports.com. The game will also be broadcast on Boxcast. The link to watch the game can also be found at YSUSports.com.
Last Time Out
The Penguins are coming off a storybook Senior Day victory, 20-9, over Detroit Mercy last Saturday inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site in Youngstown.
The Penguins had five players secure at least a hat trick, led by Brooke Peck with four goals. Lena Cox, Ava Kreutzer, Grace Rund, and Mia Yuris all scored three goals during the contest. Katie Grottenthaler added two goals, and Mary Gasper and Molly Sheridan scored the other two goals for YSU.
Cox and Grottenthaler each dished out two assists, while Kreutzer and Gwen Bogash added one assist offensively.
Grottenthaler also controlled a team-high nine draws for the Penguins.
Defensively, Tori Bustamante continued her stellar sophomore season as she had team-highs in ground balls with six and caused turnovers with three.
Brooke Harper had arguably her best game of the season, allowing just nine goals while saving eight shots. Harper played the entire 60 minutes in the cage.
The Penguins got off to a red-hot start, scoring nine of the game's first 10 goals. After two quick goals from YSU within the opening four minutes of the game, Detroit Mercy netted their first goal at the 10:04 mark of the opening quarter to cut the lead in half at 2-1. YSU would then go on to score eight consecutive goals, boosting their lead to 9-1 with 11:41 remaining in the second quarter.
The two teams would trade goals for the remainder of the second quarter. The Titans would go on their strongest offensive run of the game, scoring three goals in less than 90 seconds, scoring at 5:11, 4:17, and 3:46 left in the quarter, cutting the deficit to 10-5. The Penguins used a strong push to end the quarter, as Grace Rund scored the final two goals of the quarter, pushing the lead back up to seven heading into halftime.
Four different Penguins scored multiple goals in the first half, as Brooke Peck secured a hat trick with her three goals in the opening 30 minutes, while Ava Kreutzer, Lena Cox, and Grace Rund each scored twice.
UDM started out the second half with momentum, scoring the first two goals of the third quarter to cut the deficit back down to five at 12-7 with 8:47 remaining in the quarter. The Penguins scored their first goal of the second half, courtesy of Mia Yuris, at the 6:21 mark of the quarter. The Titans responded with a goal 44 seconds later, before YSU scored the final three goals of the quarter within the last four minutes, pushing the lead to 16-8 heading into the final quarter.
The Titans netted the first goal of the final quarter, before YSU rattled off the final four goals of the game, including the last goal by senior Molly Sheridan, her first of the season, with just 26 seconds remaining, clinching a 20-9 victory.
The 20 goals scored by the Penguins were tied for the third-most goals scored in a single game in program history, and the most that YSU has scored since 2023.
YSU fired 35 shots on the day, which tied the ninth-most in a single game in program history. 27 of their shots were on-goal, which is tied for the 10th most in a single game.
About Kent State
The Golden Flashes enter Saturday's contest with a 6-10 record overall and a 1-4 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Kent State lost its last four games, including a tough 8-7 setback against Robert Morris in triple overtime in their last game on Saturday.
Looking back at their loss to Robert Morris, Kent State got off to a hot start, scoring three consecutive goals to end the first quarter to grab a 3-2 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
The Colonials answered in the next quarter, outscoring the Golden Flashes 3-1 to take a 5-4 lead heading into halftime.
RMU scored the lone goal of the third quarter and the first goal of the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 7-4, their largest of the game. Kent State answered with the final three goals of the fourth quarter, all within the final nine minutes, tying the game at seven with 1:33 remaining.
After two scoreless overtime periods, RMU ended the marathon matchup with the game-winning goal at the 1:27 mark of the third overtime period.
Golden Flashes Stat Leaders Through 16 Games
Points – Zayda Crumpton (50)
Goals – Zayda Crumpton (37)
Assists – Zayda Crumpton (13)
Ground Balls – Sydney Davis (38)
Caused Turnovers – Zayda Crumpton (19)
Draw Controls – Zayda Crumpton (78)
Saves – Sydney Davis (100)
Series History
This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the Penguins and the Golden Flashes, with the series tied 3-3. KSU won the lone meeting last season, 16-15, at Farmers National Bank Field in Youngstown.
YSU's last victory over KSU came on Apr. 23, 2022. The Penguins are 2-1 vs. the Golden Flashes at Dix Stadium.
Out of the six matchups between the two schools, four of them have been decided by three goals or less.
Looking back at last year's meeting, both teams went on their fair share of runs, including YSU using a three-goal run from Lena Cox late in the fourth quarter to take a 15-14 lead with 2:49 remaining in the contest. Kent State would then tie the game with 58 seconds left, and score the eventual game-winning goal with 27 seconds left, winning 16-15.
A Win Would
- Give YSU a 7-8 overall record, and a 4-3 record on the road this season.
- Mark the second time in program history that YSU has won at least seven games
- 2022 – 10
- 2025 - 6
- 2023 – 6
- Mark just the second time in program history that the Penguins have ended the season with a winning road record (3-3 currently, 5-3 in 2022).
- Be YSU's second win this season vs. a member of the Mid-American Conference
- Be YSU's first win over Kent State since 2022
- Give Head Coach Rob Harris his seventh win at YSU, and his 110th career win.
Final Career Games for Kuzdzal, Manser, and Sheridan
Saturday's game will be the final game of the careers of Mia Kuzdzal, Grace Manser, and Molly Sheridan as members of the Youngstown State women's lacrosse program.
All three 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 37 games over her career, totaling 15 ground balls and five caused turnovers across her career.
Manser has appeared in 28 games throughout her career at YSU. She has totaled 12 ground balls and six caused turnovers as a Penguin.
Sheridan, also a defender, is the Penguins' all-time leader in career appearances with 62, 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 68 ground balls and 48 caused turnovers each rank fourth all-time in program history.
Milestone Year for Grottenthaler
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.
She also sits at 94 career draw controls heading into the season finale matchup with the Golden Flashes, which ranks third in program history.
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 third in the nation in free-position shot percentage at 56.0% (51-for-91). Albany leads the country in that category at 63.5% (33-for-52).
The Penguins rank 12th in the nation in free-position goals with 51.
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 – 188 (1st MAC)
Caused Turnovers – 139 (2nd MAC)
Grottenthaler Leads the Offensive Attack
Sophomore Katie Grottenthaler has had an exceptional sophomore season. She leads the Penguins and ranks fifth in the MAC with 39 goals through 14 games. She has eclipsed her goal total from her freshman season when she scored 17 goals in 16 games.
Her 39 goals currently rank fourth in program history in single-season goals. Ali Korin currently ranks third with 41 goals during the 2023 season.
Grottenthaler also ranks fourth in the MAC in draw controls per game with 4.93.
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 23 and assists per game with 1.64.
Her 23 assists currently rank in a tie for third-most in a single season in program history. The second-place spot currently belongs to Erin Clark, who had 24 assists during the 2023 season.
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 (32) and caused turnovers per game (2.29).
She has eight 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 seven 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 12th in caused turnovers per game.
She also leads the team in ground balls with 35.
Her 35 GB currently ranks third in a single season in program history:
- Natalie Calandra-Ryan – 39 (2022)
- Kayla Stecker – 36 (2024)
- Tori Bustamante – 35 (2025)
Penguins Statistical Leaders
Points:
1. Katie Grottenthaler - 46
2. Lena Cox – 45
3. Brooke Peck – 30
Goals:
1. Katie Grottenthaler – 39
2. Ava Kreutzer – 26
3. Brooke Peck – 25
Assists:
- Lena Cox – 23
2. Katie Grottenthaler – 7
T-3. Brooke Peck – 5
T-3. Mia Yuris - 5
Ground Balls:
1. Tori Bustamante – 35
2. Mackenzie Flannigan – 26
3. Katie Grottenthaler – 23
Caused Turnovers:
1. Tori Bustamante – 32
2. Mackenzie Flannigan – 21
3. Molly Sheridan – 14
Draw Controls:
1. Katie Grottenthaler – 69
2. Grace Rund – 41
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 13 games this season, starting in nine. She currently leads the team with 62 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 six games this season, including starting the last three games, which are her first three starts of the season. She dished out her first assist of the season last Saturday vs. Detroit Mercy, and 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 14 games this season, starting in 13, and currently ranks second on the team in ground balls with 26, and she also ranks second on the team in caused turnovers with 21. She had a season-high six ground balls against Central Michigan on Apr. 11, while also causing four turnovers twice this season.
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 14 games, as she currently leads the MAC with 32 caused turnovers and leads the team in ground balls with 35.
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 12 games thus far this season and has scored 10 goals this season, while dishing out five assists. She is coming off a season-high three goals against Detroit Mercy last Saturday.
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.
For news and updates throughout the 2025 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on X .
