GALESBURG, Ill. -- The Lawrence University women's soccer team wanted to do more than just get to the Midwest Conference Tournament, but the Vikings will have to settle for taking just one step toward their ultimate goal of winning the league tourney.
    Lawrence dropped a 3-0 decision to host Knox College at Jorge Prats Field on Friday to bring its season to a close. Lawrence finishes the season with an 11-7-1 mark, and that ties for the second-most wins in a season in school history.
    "It has to be seen as a successful year, especially with a group that 18 of the 26 are first-year or second-year," Lawrence coach Joe Sagar said. "If we work hard, this should be the expectation for the group to play in November every year instead of once a decade."
    Lawrence, a three-time Midwest Conference Tournament champion, was playing in its first league tourney since 2011 and is only two seasons removed from a winless campaign.
    "It's been huge," Sagar said of reaching the conference tournament. He noted the team overcame the pressure and won a must-win game, beating Monmouth College 1-0 in double-overtime in the regular season finale just to reach the conference tournament. The prize was getting matched up against the league's best and most experienced team in Knox. Not bad for a group that was picked to finish seventh in the nine-team league in the preseason coaches poll but wound up tied for third place.
    "Now we can now take a step back and see what we accomplished," Sagar said.
   Knox (11-6-1) got on the board first when the league's top offensive player, Lydia Mitchell, scored on a ball just past the reach of Lawrence goalkeeper Sarah Yochem for a 1-0 lead at the 5:30 mark. Lawrence nearly tied the score later in the first half when Audrey Deppen's free kick just sailed over the crossbar. Rookie forward Cambrie Rickard shook loose for several shots in the opening half but couldn't get one on target.
    The score stayed 1-0 until 15 minutes into the second half when Mitchell scored again in the 61st minute. Knox tacked on a third goal by Emily McParland at the 83:29 mark.
    "Overall, the difference with Knox was a level of experience and maturity," Sagar said. "They are a team that has been there and done that. They have a special player in Lydia, and she really is a difference maker."
    All of the players involved in the scoring for Knox are seniors.
    Yochem made three saves for Lawrence, and Carina Escobar didn't make a save to pick up the shutout for Knox.