A slow start building to quick passes and goals secured a victory for Oakland University women’s lacrosse team Thursday night, pushing their record to 8-0 after defeating Central Michigan University 14-8 at Ultimate Soccer Arena in Pontiac. Oakland’s record has since increased to 8-1 after Sunday’s game.

The win clinches the division title for the Grizzlies, their fourth consecutive under head coach Towbey Kassa, and continues the transformation of a program that was not long ago considered by some to be left for dead.

Senior midfielder Haley Noonan, the team’s captain who scored six goals to lead the Grizzlies, had plenty of motivation before the game from Kassa to remain focused.

“(Kassa) said that this would be the fourth division championship Oakland has had in a row,” Noonan said. “That’s what we were going for and that’s what we accomplished.”

The game was extremely physical as both teams tried to impose their wills on each other. The score was tied 6-6 at halftime with junior goalie Laura Hein instrumental in keeping it close as she made a couple of critical saves, including one on a free-position shot late in the first half.

“I try to talk to the defense as much as I can, and they help me out as much as I help them out,” Hein said. “It’s about being a team and working together.”

CMU controlled the play in the later stages of the first half, and at halftime Kassa reassured the Grizzlies that they could play better if they stopped beating themselves.

“Basically I told them this is what we expected,” Kassa said. “And as long as you work hard and work on the little things, we’ll be successful. In the second half, they came out successfully.”

OU responded by playing a much more determined second half, keeping the Chippewas in their own end for most of the time and not allowing them to set up. By the time CMU got on the scoreboard 27 minutes into the second half, the Grizzlies had already put up eight consecutive goals.

“Defensively, we made some changes,” Kassa said. “Where we were a little bit low in the first half, we played a little bit higher to mess up their transition.”

No one has been as important to the resurgence of OU women’s lacrosse as Kassa, who took over the program in 2007 that was a laughingstock of the entire league, including another team that went 2-10 in 2005. In four short years he has turned the program completely around, as the Grizzlies have gone 44-8 during his tenure at Oakland with a winning percentage of .846.

“For seven years this program had been a joke in this league,” Kassa said. “It’s awesome; these girls have worked so hard. It’s a great feeling.”

With this victory, Oakland has earned a spot in the postseason and the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse League playoffs starting April 17 at the University of Toledo. In the long run, the Grizzlies have much bigger aspirations. Wins in the playoffs give the team a bid to the conference championships; the team hopes to make it to nationals in Tucson, Arizona.

The Grizzlies still have a long way to go to accomplish their season goals but are held confident with an impressive record. OU has moved up five spots in the latest Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates Division 2 poll from No. 15 to 10. The top eight teams make the national championship tournament in May.

Oakland still has some very difficult games coming up, including a game against Michigan State, ranked in the Top 20 in the country. Regardless of the challenges they continue to face, Kassa expects his team to compete hard and continue to get better for the postseason run ahead.

“Now we just got to keep plugging away,” Kassa said. “If we can compete and do the little things, we can go a long way.”

Michigan causes Oakland’s first loss

In a battle of conference leaders, the Oakland women’s lacrosse team had their unbeaten streak stopped at eight, losing to University of Michigan’s top squad 23-5 Sunday night at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse in Ann Arbor.

Oakland tied the game early at 1-1, but Michigan scored 12 consecutive goals and led at halftime 14-2.

After a 0-4 season start, Michigan has won seven in a row and is ranked No. 12 in the nation. Despite the loss, Oakland maintains their lead on top of the Division 2 conference and it should not count against the team in their quest to go to the national championships in Tucson, Arizona.

OU’s next game is on Saturday morning at Ultimate Soccer Arena against Grand Valley State at 10:30 a.m.