BOX SCORE • GCC CHAMPIONSHIPS • PHOTO GALLERY

STOCKTON, Calif. - After suffering a three-goal set-back at the University of the Pacific less than six days earlier, third-seeded LMU used defense to get redemption and back to the title game. Senior Jordan White (SR/Malibu, CA) had 12 saves and a the Lions' stingy defense earned them a 6-3 win over the host and second-seeded Tigers in the first semifinal of the 2015 Golden Coast Conference Championships Friday afternoon.

The Lions (21-11) advance to their second straight GCC Championship game thanks to a defense that gave Pacific (15-10) their first home loss of the season and ended their nine-game winning streak. Pacific goalie Michele Relton (SR/Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada) had nine saves in the defensive battle.

LMU scored first on a two-meter goal from senior Mackenzie Beck (SR/Mission Viejo, CA), who would finish with four goals from roughly the same spot to lead all scorers. Byrdie Pye tied the game at 1-1 with 2:43 left in the first quarter. Beck closed the quarter with another in the middle of the Pacific defense to make it 2-1 going into the second quarter.

The Lions would score three more to build a 5-1 lead on Ivana Castro (JR/Commerce, CA)'s goal with 5:10 left in the first half. It would be all the Lions' defense would need. Pacific's Karolina Hlavata (FR/Strakonics, Czech Rep.) would break the Lions four-goal run with a 6-on-5 tally with 1:03 left in the half, making the score 5-2 at the break.

LMU would earn the only goal of the third quarter, Beck's fourth from just outside two-meters just 25 seconds into the second half to make it 6-2. The score would stay that way until 2:13 left in the game when Anna Kertes (SR/Csongrad, Hungary) scored to make it 6-3.

The Lions will face the winner of the second semifinal between San DIego State and California Baptist in the GCC title game at 2:30 pm from Pacific's Chris Kjeldsen Pool.