Youngstown, Ohio – A second-half comeback fell just short for the Youngstown State women's lacrosse team as they fell to Central Michigan, 7-6, on Saturday afternoon at the Covelli Sports Complex.
The Penguins fall to 3-11 overall and 2-3 in MAC play with the loss, while the Chippewas advance to 3-11 and 2-3 in MAC play with the win.
Mia Yuris led YSU offensively with a hat trick, netting three goals. Molly Brooks, Ally Garrett, and Ava Kreutzer scored one goal each.
Claire Baenizger had the lone two assists for YSU.
Mackenzie Flannigan had team-highs in caused turnovers (six) and draw controls (five) while also tying for the team-lead in ground balls (four) with Alyssa Edwards.
Edwards totaled seven saves in the cage for the Penguins.
The first half was dominated for the most part by the CMU defense, which kept YSU's offense stagnant for much of the opening 30 minutes. The Chippewas netted both first-quarter goals and added another at the 7:08 mark of the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead. The Penguins' offense found a spark during the late stages of the quarter as Ally Garrett got YSU on the board off a feed from Claire Baenizger with 4:19 remaining in the quarter, followed by a Mia Yuris goal at the 1:58 mark to bring the deficit down to one goal. The Chippewas had the final laugh in the first half, though, scoring two goals within the final 36 seconds, giving them a 5-2 lead heading into halftime.
YSU made the proper adjustments heading out of the break and used a 3-0 run to bring the score even once again. Molly Brooks started the rally just 51 seconds into the quarter, followed by another Yuris goal just 41 seconds later, and Ava Kreutzer capitalized on the Penguins being a player-up as she fired a shot into the back of the cage to tie the game at five with 9:59 left in the third quarter. A CMU goal three minutes later would give them the lead once again, a score that would stand through the end of the quarter.
The fourth quarter was dominated by the defenses and goalkeepers of both teams. Mia Yuris would connect once again with her third goal of the game, tying her highest total since transferring to YSU last season, before CMU would score the go-ahead goal with just 1:30 remaining, winning by a score of 7-6. YSU had eight shots in the fourth quarter, but only two on goal.
The Penguins held a strong advantage in controlling draws, outdueling CMU 10-4 in that category.
YSU will travel to Akron next Saturday for its final road regular season contest. The opening draw against the Zips is scheduled for 3 p.m.
For news and updates throughout the 2026 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on X.
