Junior Ashley Krisfalusi scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the OU women’s lacrosse team their second consecutive Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse League championship, defeating Aquinas College 15-14 in the final game of their weekend tournament at the University of Toledo.

            Down five goals, the Grizzlies (16-1) were able to come back to force overtime against the Saints and eventually hand them their first defeat in 19 games this year. Oakland did this without two of their key players, as senior Haley Noonan had to miss the game from a red card and junior Stephanie Barr could not play due to injury.

            In the first two games of the weekend, OU defeated Calvin College in their first game 11-2, and then kept the momentum going winning for the second time this year over Central Michigan University 9-5.

            In addition, several of the players received all-league selections from the WCLL. On the first-team were Krisfalusi, Noonan, senior Vera Pattah, freshman Vittoria Wallace and sophomore Desiree Messina. Junior Jax Joyce was also a second-team all league selection.

            In winning the conference championship Oakland qualified for the WDIA Div. II National Championship May 6 in Scottsdale, AZ. The Grizzlies received the second seed in the tournament just behind California Club, which has been ranked in the top 5 all year in Div. II.

            OU will play seventh seed Southern Methodist University in the first round, which finished the regular season 10-2 and lost to the University of Texas twice, a team ranked in the top 15 in Div. I.

            After all the tournament bids were sent out, Oakland is the only university left in the state that is competing in the National Championships. Both Michigan and Michigan State were not invited to Arizona and the Grizzlies  will represent the state of Michigan and continue their dream season in the desert.