April 23, 2016 - The continuing improvement of the Concordia University Chicago continued to show late in the year today. The Cougars traveled to Mount Vernon, Iowa to take on Cornell College in a Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference matchup. The Cougars playe their best defensive game of the year but fell late to Cornell by a score of 7-5.

Cornell opened the game on a 3-0 run, finishing with a goal with 17:08 remaining in the half. The Cougars would answer back with a run of their own to tie the game back up. After Sydney Fuller (Elkhart, IN/Northridge) forced a Cornell turnover, CUC worked the ball up the field. Margaret Doane (Glen Ellyn, IL/home schooled) got the ball and put the visiting Cougars on the board with her tenth goal of the season. The two teams each had good looks late in the half but would be turned away by superb goaltending by Cornell's Dana Kuenzi and CUC's Melissa Franco (Wood Dale, IL/Fenton).

The Cougars played one of their best halves on the season, taking 12 shots (nine on goal) in the half and going a season-high 12-14 in clear attempts but still trailed 3-1 at the break.

The second half was slow to start scoring, but CUC cut into the lead further when Fuller fed Anna Kellar (Collinsville, IL/Metro-East Lutheran), who buried a goal to make it 3-2 with 20:01 left to play. Just over two minutes later, Fuller scored her 13^th goal of the season to make it 3-3 with 17:44 left to play. Cornell momentarily grabbed the lead, but after a Cornell yellow card, CUC took advantage of the man-up situation and set up Danielle Wade (Chicago, IL/Guerin Prep) for her first goal of the season to make it 4-4 with 09:29 remaining. Cornell jumped out ahead again with 7:20 remaining and then doubled the lead at 6-4 with 5:34 remaining. CUC fought back though, and after a CUC timeout, the Cougars worked the ball forward. Kellar was fouled and awarded a Free Position shot. She made her Cougar teammtes raise their sticks when she netted the shot to cut the lead to 6-5. However, Cornell ended the chance for a Cougars' rally with a goal just 16 seasons after Kellar's tally.

Franco finished the day with eight saves. CUC took 21 shots in the game and forced 29 Cornell turnovers in the game.

The Cougars will conclude their inaugural season next Saturday when they host Benedictine University at Concordia Stadium with opening draw scheduled for 4:30 p.m.