DENVER, Colo. – The historic 2019 season continues for head coach Sarah Kellner and the Regis University women's lacrosse team (20-0) who captured their second-consecutive Midwest Regional Championship in the second-round of the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Women' Lacrosse Tournament.
 
No. 1 seeded Regis defeated the No. 3 seeded Colorado Mesa University Mavericks (15-4) 16-14 in the championship game, earning their 20^th-straight win of the season, and the first 20-win season in program history.
 
How It Happened: This game was not for the faint of heart. The two remaining Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) teams fought back-and-forth in a battle of will and determination. Both teams have evolved throughout the course of the season, all leading up to this Midwest Regional Championship. The Rangers got on the board first when senior Wendy Donier scored 2:13 into the game.
 
That goal was matched by the Mavericks but senior Sarah Lugo and junior Jessica Berg scored back-to-back goals to take the first two-goal lead of the game. Again, CMU responded by scoring two goals of the own to tie the game at three goals apiece. Despite playing a man-down with a player serving a two-minute yellow card penalty, senior Sarah Myres found a cutting Lugo who rifled her second goal of the game past the Mavericks goalkeeper. Sophomore Kyleigh Peoples capitalized on a man-up opportunity less than two minutes later, giving the home side a two-goal advantage again, 5-3. RU enjoyed a 4-2 run to end the half, providing a four-goal lead, 9-5, at halftime.
 
51 seconds into the second half junior Andrea Macalalad took a pass from Berg and slotted her shot into the back of the net to put Regis up 10-5. CMU countered the attack with a short 3-0 run to cut the deficit to two goals, 10-8. The resilient Rangers followed with a 3-0 run of their own with goals coming from Peoples, Macalalad and junior Ali Vanek.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Elle Crawford came up huge down the stretch for RU, stuffing a few what looked to be open opportunities from the Mavericks. This energy carried Regis through the final 12:35 of the game, leading to a 16-14 win over CMU and a second-consecutive NCAA Midwest Regional Championship for the Rangers.
 
Game Notes: Seven players had two or more points in the game for Regis with Myres leading the way with six. She posted two goals and a game-high four assists, adding two ground balls, two caused turnovers and one draw control. Vanek and Berg were next with four points apiece, Vanek netting two goals and adding two assists while Berg found the net three times and had one assist.
 
The Rangers defense was in overdrive this game forcing 21 turnovers and snagging 30 ground balls. The draw control battle was also won by RU 19-13 which contributed mightily to the victory. Berg continues to shine in the big moments; leading the team with a season-high seven draw controls and five caused turnovers to go along with six ground balls. Junior Marisa Twarowski played extremely well in this game, securing five ground balls and causing three turnovers. Crawford (W, 19-0) was so much fun to watch as she made 13 crucial saves in the game, while also breaking up other attempts with two caused turnovers and a season-high five ground balls.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: The newly crowned Midwest Regional Champion Regis women's lacrosse team now advance to the semifinal round of the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Women' Lacrosse Tournament where only three teams remain.  No. 2 seeded West Chester will face No. 3 seeded Queens University of Charlotte while the No. 1 seeded Rangers will move on to face No. 4 seeded Adelphi University in the semifinal round of the tournament on Friday at 9 a.m. MDT. With the Le Moyne College Dolphins losing today, that ensures that there will be a new National Champion at the conclusion of the tournament. All remaining games will be played in Allendale, Michigan on the campus of Grand Valley State University beginning Friday, May 17^th.

To view the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship Bracket, click here.