LANCASTER, Pa. -- The Grove City College women's lacrosse team closed its historic 2024 season Saturday afternoon by dropping a 16-1 decision to St. Mary's College of Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, hosted by Franklin & Marshall College at Shadek Stadium. Grove City concludes the season with a 15-6 record, setting a single-season wins record for the third-year program.

Grove City broke through in the third quarter when junior attack Taylor Blythe (Mendon, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) scored a short-handed goal with 7:46 remaining in the period. 

St. Mary's (12-6) led 5-0 after one quarter, then pushed the lead to 7-0 by halftime.

Junior midfielder Abby Roetering (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) recorded a team-leading five ground balls while junior goalie Elyse Kiggins (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) had four ground balls. Roetering also caused two turnovers. 

Junior defender Emily Arnold (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana) recorded four draw controls and senior midfielder Madison Nazigian (Forest, Va./Jefferson Forest) had three draw controls. 

Kiggins made a season-high 13 saves in goal. She played 58:06. Sophomore Mia Gallagher (Mogadore, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) played the final 1:54. St. Mary's held a 43-14 edge in total shots. Grove City turned over possession 26 times while St. Mary's had 14 turnovers. St. Mary's also had a 12-7 edge in draw controls.

Grove City earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth by winning the Presidents' Athletic Conference last Saturday with a 13-10 at Washington & Jefferson. St. Mary's, champion of the United East Conference, is in the tournament for the third straight season.

Grove City will lose Nazigian, midfielder Lucy Martin (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) and attack Meah Groves (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley).