Mustangs Fall in Tightly Contested Contest with St. Ambrose

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — In a tough home matchup on Saturday, Mount Mercy fell to St. Ambrose 15–5. The Mustangs capitalized on three player-up goals, but St. Ambrose's balanced offensive effort clinched their victory.

Mount Mercy started strong with Gannon Lara in goal and Claire Ellsworth controlling the initial draw. Despite an early offensive push, including a shot by Kylie Claeys saved by Reina Chrobak, St. Ambrose was first on the board. Morgan O'Malley nailed a free position goal at 12:31, with Brooke Arendt adding a player-up goal at 7:15, assisted by Kathleen Finnin. Shaine Grinde responded for the Mustangs at 6:11. However, St. Ambrose extended their lead with Maeve Flynn and Becca Schrage finding the net, both with assists from Karsen Jummati. Roree Cowley scored for Mount Mercy at 3:51, but Cailey Kramer wrapped up the quarter with a goal, putting St. Ambrose ahead 5–2.

In the second quarter, St. Ambrose capitalized on Mount Mercy's turnovers, stretching their lead with three more goals. Karsen Jummati kicked off the scoring at 13:09, assisted by Eve Hanlon, followed by an unassisted goal from Kramer at 11:52. Even in a player-down situation, Becca Schrage scored with help from Brielle Taylor at 5:47. Mount Mercy struggled to regain momentum as St. Ambrose's defense held firm, leaving the score at 8–2 by halftime.

The Mustangs mounted a comeback in the third quarter, narrowing the gap with three straight goals. Abby Vanderwarren first extended St. Ambrose's lead at 12:53, assisted by Flynn. Then, Kianna Zach scored a player-up goal at 10:46, assisted by Claeys, followed by two goals from Grinde, including a player-up goal at 7:45 with another Claeys assist, tightening the score to 9–5. Key saves from Lara were crucial in maintaining Mount Mercy's momentum.

St. Ambrose dominated the fourth quarter, starting with Flynn's player-up goal at 13:44, pushing their lead to 11–5. Flynn continued her impact with another player-up goal at 9:37, assisted by Raegan Dotterer. Kramer added a goal at 7:45, with an assist from Flynn, and Jummati capitalized on a player-down situation at 3:12. Flynn sealed the victory with a free position shot at 2:42, finalizing the 15–5 win for St. Ambrose.

Grinde led Mount Mercy with three goals, converting all her shots on goal, including two unassisted scores. Claeys facilitated the attack with two assists and three shots. Cowley added one goal, scoring on her only shot on goal out of four attempts. Zach also found the net once, with two shots on target, contributing a player-up goal.

Looking ahead, the Mustangs will take on Ottawa on Saturday, March 28 at 3 p.m. in Ottawa, Kansas.