GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Cait Gaitley scored three goals and dished out an assist, Jordan Church and Taylor Nelson took charge of the defense and Victoria Della Pia stopped 11 of the 15 shots she faced to lift Albion College to a 7-4 victory over a Calvin College squad picked as the preseason favorite to win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association women's lacrosse championship.

"We were focused on the defensive end of the field," Albion Head Coach Shanta Loecker said after her team jumped out to a 3-0 start against league rivals and a 4-6 record overall. "We executed the game plan well, with the exception of shooting and turnovers."

Wood pulled Albion into a 2-2 tie when she scored her 25^th goal of the season with six minutes left in the first half.

Gaitley scored on a free position shot  and assisted on Kadie Koolwick's shorthanded goal in the final 2 ½ minutes as Albion built a 4-2 lead at halftime.

Wood and Koolwick scored in the first 7 ½ minutes of the second half as Albion extended the margin to 6-2.

Loecker noted Albion had its scoring chances as the team generated 33 shots. Gaitley and Wood finished with nine shots apiece. Kadie Koolwick controlled the draw eight times and ripped five shots.

"The biggest thing with this team is the effort is always there," Loecker said. "They make mistakes but they work through them."

Up next for Albion is a 1 o'clock Saturday matchup against Saint Mary's College at Saint Joseph High School in South Bend, Ind.