LAKELAND, Fla. – Kendal Johnson led the way for Notre Dame College, with four goals, but the Falcons could not comeback against the No. 2 ranked team in NCAA Division II, Florida Southern College. FSC won the game, 20-7.
 
After falling behind 10-0, Notre Dame went on a 3-0 run, starting late in the first quarter. Senior Megan Dano passed to Johnson for NDC's first goal of the contest, with 1:31 on the first quarter clock.
 
To start the second quarter, sophomore Joselyn Storm made an excellent move to get around a defender and find space. That led to her only goal of the game, but she would also total two assists.
 
The Falcons won the next draw control and, less than 30 seconds later, sophomore Grace Nickoloff was charging toward the goal, took a perfectly placed pass from Storm and sent the ball into the net to make the score 10-3.
 
On a free position attempt, with 7:27 remaining in the first half, Storm tallied another assist. Once the whistle blew, she stood up and passed to her right, where Johnson had a wide open lane to the goal.
 
At halftime, Florida Southern led, 15-4. The draw controls were nearly even as Florida Southern had one more (11-10) than NDC at the break.
 
In the third quarter, after an FSC shot was missed, the Falcons sprinted down the field. Nickoloff got into position and scored for a second time, with the assist credited to sophomore Kendra Cole. That was Cole's first assist of her collegiate career.
 
Johnson scored the final two goals of the contest. With 4:31 on the fourth quarter clock, she maneuvered to her left, then split two defenders and put the shot over the goalkeeper and in. A few minutes later, she scored on a free position shot.
 
Johnson had four goals on Thursday, which is the most she has scored in a game since putting seven in the net on April 8, 2021.
 
As a team, Notre Dame caused 10 turnovers. Sophomore Piper Hammond led the way with four caused turnovers, while Storm, sophomore Camille Brathwaite and freshman Ella Scoville all had two. Hammond also led the team with a career-high four draw controls, while Storm had three.
 
NDC will have a week off before traveling to Walsh University for a matchup, on March 16, at 6 p.m.