Colorado Springs, CO — The Westminster Griffins women's lacrosse team opened their RMAC season on Friday evening, falling to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) 16-12 despite a late scoring surge.

The Griffins found themselves down early but managed to score three consecutive goals in the final minute of the contest, all coming from free position shots. Lilliana Montano, Marianna Dick, and Celia Fidanza each converted opportunities in the closing moments to narrow the gap, but UCCS maintained control to secure the win.

The Griffins struck first when Jordan Williamson netted the opening goal, but UCCS responded with three straight scores to close the first period ahead 3-1. Westminster battled back in the second period with goals from Riley Weldon and Grace Szwedko, but the Mountain Lions extended their lead with four unanswered goals to take a 7-3 advantage at halftime.

The Griffins showed resilience in the third period with scores from Holly Shoughro, Lexi Segaline, and Shoughro again on a man-down free position goal, cutting the deficit to 8-7. However, UCCS regained momentum and outscored Westminster 8-5 in the final quarter to seal the victory.

Key Performers

• Westminster Goals: Holly Shoughro (3), Lilliana Montano (2), Grace Szwedko (2), Riley Weldon, Celia Fidanza, Marianna Dick, Lexi Segaline, Jordan Williamson

• UCCS Goals: Sofia Watts (3), Erica Rivera (3), Peyton Ross, Rylie Maready, and several others contributing to the balanced scoring attack.

• Assists Leaders: Westminster's Celia Fidanza and Olivia Petrosky each recorded one assist, while UCCS dished out 11 assists in a strong team performance.

Up Next

The Griffins continue their RMAC road trip as they face Regis University on Sunday, March 16, in Denver, CO. The matchup is scheduled for a 12:00 PM start at Regis Turf Field.

For more information on Westminster women's lacrosse, visit WestminsterGriffins.com.