GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The No. 3-ranked and No. 3-seeded Indiana Tech women's lacrosse team defeated the No. 2-seeded and No. 2-ranked University of the Cumberlands, 17-8, in the semifinals of the NAIA National Invitational Friday morning at the Aquinas College Athletic Field to advance to the championship game of the national tournament for the first time in program history.
 
It will be the Warriors first trip to the national title game since the 2012 season when they made their second of back-to-back trips to the National Women's Lacrosse League (NWLL) National Tournament Finals. Tech's lone national title came in the 2011 campaign, their second season as a program when they won the inaugural NWLL title.
 
The first half of the game was a slugfest between the two powerhouses as they battled heavy rain and cold throughout the national semifinal contest, with the two sides being knotted up at 5-5 after 30 minutes of play. Goals from Bailey Childs and Jennifer Banks 22 seconds apart gave the Warriors a 3-1 lead with 19:58 to go in the half, but the Patriots ended the period on a 4-2 run to tie the game up at 5-5.
 
Tech found its offensive groove in the second half as they scored six times in the first 11 minutes of the period to take an 11-5 lead with 19:21 remaining in regulation. Dakota Dawson kicked off the scoring at the 27:04 mark while Kristina Scott and McKenna Mesclier each scored two goals each. UC stopped the scoring streak with 18:32 to play, but Childs started a 5-0 run for the Orange and Black at the 16:10 mark as the Warriors extended their advantage to 16-6 with 8:38 to go.
 
The Patriots stopped the running clock with a goal at the 5:57 mark, but it was too little too late as the Warriors took the first semifinal of the day with the 17-8 victory.
 
Mesclier finished with a game-high six goals and six draw controls while Childs also had six draw controls and four assists. Sam Vikstrom caused four turnovers, picked up four ground balls and won four draws, while Scott had four goals. Sydney Davis made seven saves in the cage to pick up the win.
 
Tech (18-3) will face off with No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Savannah College of Art and Design at 1 p.m. Saturday from the Aquinas College Athletic Field.