The Genesee Community College women's lacrosse team knew they had a tough task in front of them against the top team in the National Junior College Athletic Association April 18.

The No. 1 Monroe Community College women's lacrosse team kept their perfect record intact in moving to 7-0, but it was the spirited play of the Cougars in the second half that impressed most.

A never-give-up mindset in the second half produced a pair Genesee goals. The Tribunes out-scored the Cougars by seven goals during the final 30 minutes as Genesee looked like a rejuvenated team in the second. In all of Monroe's impressive wins this season that propelled them to No. 1, only three teams have scored more than a pair of goals in any half against them.

Bri Heers ended the game's scoring with a brilliant rush that encompassed most of the playing field. Kali Wright set the tone early in the second by scoring on an elusive ground shot. The Cougars scored on two of their three second-half shots with a scoring percentage of 67 percent.

Monroe got eight of its 25 on free-position shots and barely beat the Cougars in the groundball game at 31-28. Molly Barden and Allison Duhow recorded 11 of those 28 with the former corralling six and the latter five. Three groundballs each came from Julie Kommer, Rachel Ladd, and Wright.

Current NJCAA Region-III Female Athlete of the Week and current Cougar Female Athlete of the Week Sara Zakes had seven more saves than either of the two Monroe goalies, who split time in the contest.