MONTGOMERY, Ill. (naccsports.org) --- Aurora University outlasted Milwaukee School of Engineering, 9-8, to capture the 2026 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Women's Lacrosse Tournament title Saturday at Spartan Athletic Park.
Nicolina Smith delivered a clutch finish in the back-and-forth battle, scoring the game-winning goal with 58 seconds remaining in regulation.
It is the fifth NACC tournament title in six years for Aurora (12-7), which also secured the NACC's automatic berth in the 2026 NCAA DIvision III Women's Lacrosse Championship, which begins next week.
MSOE (9-11) struck first with two quick goals less than three minutes in as Chloe Ninmann and Maggie Sanderson scored 15 seconds apart, but the Spartans responded with four straight goals to close out the opening quarter. Julie Sass scored off an assist from Ameila Bell, followed by a free-position goal from Smtih and back-to-back unassisted tallies from Ava Courtney.
The Raiders halved the deficit in the opening minute of the second quarter as Sanderson found the back of the net for the second time, but Aurora responded with a pair of goals from McKenzie Wilson to extend the lead to 6-3. Goals late in the quarter from Ninmann and Arial Lapsa left the hosts with a 6-5 advantage at halftime.
Ninmann tallied her third goal of the game halfway through the third quarter to tie the game at 6-6. Bell gave Aurora a short-lived 7-6 lead before an unassisted goal from Jenna Kent sent the game to its final stanza deadlocked at 7-7.
MSOE carried momentum into the fourth, taking an 8-7 lead early in the period on another goal from Ninmann - her fourth of the day. Aurora remained composed and responded midway through the quarter when Nicolina Smith scored off an assist from Bell to tie the game at 8-8.
The Spartans defense came up with key stops in the closing minutes, forcing turnovers and limiting MSOE's chances while maintaining possession. Aurora earned a late free-position opportunity, and with just 58 seconds remaining, Smith converted for her third goal of the game and the game-winner.
Smith led the Spartans with three goals, including two in the second half and the decisive score. Courtney added two goals in the first quarter to spark the early comeback, while Wilson contributed two second-quarter goals. Bell played a crucial role in the offense, finishing with one goal and three assists, factoring into four of Aurora's nine goals.
Ninmann scored a game-high four goals, while also posting five ground balls, four draw controls, and two caused turnovers.
Defensively, Aurora controlled key possessions with a 39-36 edge in ground balls and a slight 10-9 advantage in draw controls. The Spartans also forced 29 MSOE turnovers and capitalized on timely clears (15-of-18).
Goalkeeper Meghan Ginty played the full 60 minutes, recording six saves, including a key stop in the final seconds to preserve the one-goal victory. For MSOE, goalkeepers Molly Benjamins and Laura Melizza combined for seven saves.