MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan lacrosse team picked up its 10th victory of the season and first in GLIAC play on Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats defeated the Davenport Panthers 18-7.

Already on top of nearly every record at NMU, Minnie Bittell hit yet another career milestone, scoring her 200th career goal in the second quarter. She became one of only seven active players in Division II to reach the historic milestone.

Bittell had three goals and three assists while Laine Stanton led the way with four goals. Josie Lakosky also added a hat trick and led the team with two caused turnovers. Lauren Esposito recorded four saves in net and Brigid Fornek added another. 


How it Happened
Kaitlyn Bridger opened the scoring, cutting to the net to receive a pass from Minnie Bittell, and firing a shot into the back of the net in seemingly one motion. After the following draw, Bittell took one for herself to put NMU ahead 2-0 just over five minutes into the game. 

Each side then scored twice to wrap up the opening frame, with Northern getting tallies from Josie Lakosky and Laine Stanton to lead 4-2. 

The Green and Gold were able to open up the game a bit heading into halftime, using a 5-0 spurt in the second. Two strikes came from Stanton as she earned her second career hat trick by creating open lanes to the net and converting on the high-quality looks in front of her. Lakosky also scored twice for her sixth career hat trick. 

Bittell scored the final and most notable goal of the run, a picture-perfect missile into the back of the net for her 200th career goal. After a DU goal, Abby Sisson and Stanton tacked on two more before the halftime horn to give NMU an 11-4 lead at intermission. 

A pair of goals from Taylor Priestley and Danielle Key brought the score to 13-4 early in the second half, but DU answered to delay the 10-goal difference for running time. It didn't take long for NMU to reach that point, as goals from Bridger and Clara Johnson made it 15-5 halfway through the third. 

NMU got goals from Bittell, Ella Larson, and Isabella Detienne to close out the victory. 


Up Next
Senior Day will take place on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m. as the 'Cats welcome Concordia-St. Paul to the Superior Dome for the final home game of the regular season.