GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The visiting Northern Michigan University Wildcats went on a 5-1 run in the middle quarters and scored the final two goals to outlast the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks in a NCAA Division II Midwest Region women's lacrosse match-up on Monday afternoon here at Community Hospital Unity Field.
 
The Wildcats remained undefeated and improved to 5-0 while the Mavericks, hot off a Saturday afternoon win over nationally-ranked Florida Tech, were unable to match that offensive production and fell to 1-5.
 
Sophomore net-minder Heather Hawkins made a season-high 13 saves as the Mavericks held the Wildcats well below their scoring average of 16.75 goals per game.
 
They also caused 11 of the Wildcats' 15 turnovers as nine different players had at least one caused turnover.  Hawkins also had four ground balls while Carson Dickey registered three.  Dickey also had three draw controls.
 
The Maverick senior was also one of three Mavericks with two goals.  Kaylee Kittle also added two as did freshman Lilly Osterman, who recorded her first two collegiate goals.
 
Devon Morris also had a goal while Cassidy Keykal recorded two assists.
 
Both teams finished the game with 26 shots. 
 
The Wildcats had a 12-6 advantage in draw controls and won eight out of the 11 in the final three quarters.
 
The Mavs took an early 3-1 lead with goals from Morris, Kittle and Osterman in the in the first five minutes.
 
Kittle then added a second goal with 5:55 left in the first quarter as the Mavs took a 4-2 lead.
 
The Mavs then led 4-3 at the half and 5-3 after Dickey scored less than three minutes in to the second half.
 
However, the Wildcats stormed back with a 4-0 run to take a 7-5 lead as Vanessa Carrico scored the first two of her three second-half goals.
 
Dickey then scored a woman-up goal with nine seconds left in the third quarter before Osterman tied the game at 7 with 13:38 left.
 
However, Carrico scored the go-ahead goal just 1:04 later while taking advantage of a Maverick green card. 
 
The Wildcats then doubled their advantage with 6:55 left as Lauren Esposito recorded three of her nine saves in the fourth quarter.
 
Carrico had three goals while Josie Lakosky also added three goals and seven draw controls.  Lakosky had come into the game after 6.75 goals per game but was held to a more modest effort by the Maverick defense, including Jillian Rodrigues, who marked her fairly successfully through much of the first half.
 
The game ended a Maverick 3-game homestand.
 
The Mavs will now head to Pueblo, Colorado a Sunday afternoon neutral site contest against Rockhurst before returning home to begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against UCCS on the following Sunday (Mar. 15).