OTTAWA, Kan. – The (RV) Ottawa University women's lacrosse team opened the 2023 season in challenging fashion, falling to the reigning national champs and No. 1 Benedictine Ravens on Saturday afternoon at Adventhealth Field in Ottawa.

Mackenzie Simmons provided an early spark for the Braves, scoring the game's opening goal just one minute into the game. Following a Ravens goal, Simmons scored again to give the Braves a 2-1 lead at the 12:39 mark. The Ravens locked down and proceed to go on a seven-goal run to take a 8-2 lead hallway through the second quarter. Cecily Anderson snuck in a goal for Ottawa right before halftime, her first of two on the day.

The Braves made a run in the third quarter, scoring three straight goals to make the deficit 12-6. Shannon Carroll scored her first goal of the season, followed by Simmons third goal of the game. Anderson and Carroll scored one more goal apiece, both finishing with two on the day. Although the Braves picked up the scoring, the Ravens kept pace en route to the 20-7 win.

Countdown to 100 Goals & Up Next
With two goals against Benedictine, Cecily Anderson is now just one goal shy of 100 career goals at OU. The feat will most likely happen in OU's next game on Monday, on the road against Keiser.