WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. --- The Life University women's lacrosse team put together a gutty performance, taking No. 2 University of the Cumberland's to two overtimes on an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon in Kentucky before falling 13-12 to end the team's run in the Mid-South Conference Tournament Semifinals.
 
Life U (15-5) started the game on fire, quickly putting the Patriots (18-1) on their back foot as Brianna Freeman and Angie Forbes recorded back-to-back goals in a 17 second span to see the team take a 2-0 edge. Cumberlands responded, but Forbes and Freeman posted two more scores to push the advantage to 4-1. The team's traded scores through the rest of the first to see the Running Eagles end the first 15 minutes with a 5-4 lead.
 
The second quarter went even more in Life U's favor, the Running Eagles running off five unanswered goals as they shut down the Patriot's attack. Goals from Maria Arvizu and Nicole Ortiz came down a player, while Annaliese Froese and Kelly Beshaw scored following a card against the Patriots to even things up. With a 10-4 lead and time drawing to a close, Cumberlands finally got on the board, seeing the first half end 10-5.
 
The already thin bench and cards keeping players out of play saw Life U start to run out of gas in the second half. The Patriots cut into the lead slightly with a pair of goals to start the third, but Nina Sutton and Lacy Legaspi answered to keep the lead at five goals, 12-7, with 4:34 to play in the period. A Cumberlands goal before the end of the third and four over the course of the fourth saw the game tied with just over 20 seconds to go. The teams fought to a draw over the first overtime, and it looked like the second overtime would not be enough to decide the game either until the Patriots netted a score in the final seconds to see the final of 13-12.
 
Only two players recorded multi-goal games, Freeman leading the way with three scores, an assist, and a ground ball. Forbes matched her with three goals of her own and a pair of ground balls.
 
Life U held the offensive pressure through the majority of the contest, so led in total shots 40-27 and shots on goal 31-19. The Running Eagles also did a better job of scooping up balls, collecting 17 draw controls to the Patriots' 11 and held a 22-17 edge in ground balls. Cumberlands' was recognized as causing more turnovers at 16-7, being better on the clear 25-for-29 to 19-for-24, and on saves 19-6.
 
The loss ends Life U's Mid-South Conference Tournament run, the team now waiting on the NAIA selection committee to see if their season will continue in the NAIA Tournament in Southfield, Mich. from May 4-7.