Ashland, OH - The University of Findlay women's lacrosse team was back in action on Thursday, May 1 for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) conference tournament semifinal match-up with two-seeded Walsh University.  After taking care of Malone in the quarterfinal round, the Oilers earned themselves a rematch with the Cavaliers, who took the 12-6 win over the Orange and Black on Mar. 22.  In a close game, Findlay pulled off the upset, winning by a score of 13-10.

It would be the Cavaliers getting on the board first, as two goals in the first two minutes of play gave them a very early 2-0 lead.  Unlike the first match-up between these two teams, the Oilers refused to give in, responding with a goal of their own less than one minute later from Rebecca Chmiel.

After Walsh would score once more with eight minutes left to play in the first, the last four minutes would see Findlay score four unanswered to take a 5-3 lead, which was a lead they would not lose for the remainder of the contest.  Along with one goal from Tessa Chuba, Chmiel would add three more to her total during this stretch.

After a high scoring first quarter, both sides saw their defense dig deep, with only three total goals being scored in the second.  Tessa Chuba would add her second of the day to make the score 7-4 going into the half.

Just one minute into the third, Karissa Allbright would score to extend their lead to four, which would be the Oilers largest of the game.  After two goals in two minutes from the Cavaliers, the lead was back down to just two with 12 minutes remaining in the third.  Both teams would trade goals for the remainder of the quarter, making the score 11-9 in favor of Findlay heading into the final quarter of play.  

After seven minutes of scoreless action, Walsh would add a goal to make it just a one goal lead for Findlay.  Closing out the game would be Cora West and Chmiel, who each added two huge insurance goals to put the game out of reach and secure the 13-10 victory.  This win marks the first time the Oilers have defeated the Cavaliers since Apr. 30 of 2021, when they secured a 12-11 overtime victory.

Leading the charge for Findlay all game long was Chmiel, as she scored a team high six goals and also recorded one assist.  For the sophomore, that is a new season and career high for goals in a game, as she now has 29 on the season.

Chuba would finish with three goals in the game, while also recording a ground ball and two draw controls.

Caroline Weber would earn the win in between the posts, as in her 45 minutes of play she would only allow five goals and record five saves

The Oilers now turn their attention to Ashland University, as they will be taking on the Eagles in the G-MAC Tournament Final.  With a win, the Oilers an automatic bid into regionals, a new bonus to the conference tournament in 2025.  The game is set for Saturday, May 3 at 4 pm in Ashland.