The second-seeded Middlebury women's lacrosse team advanced to the NESCAC Championship game after a 13-4 win over third-seeded Amherst in a game played at Trinity. The sixth-ranked Panthers (16-1) will take on five-time defending champion Trinity in the title game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Eighth-ranked Amherst fell to 12-4 with the loss and will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Middlebury got the game started at the 29:14 mark when Alli Sciarretta scored on a feed from Chrissy Ritter to give the Panthers an early 1-0 advantage. Middlebury doubled its lead at the 25:52 mark when Hollis Perticone capitalized on a feed from Mary O'Connell. Two minutes later, O'Connell made it 3-0 with an unassisted strike. After a 10:22 span of scoreless lacrosse, Bridget Instrum found the back of the net for the Panthers. O'Connell provided the assist on the scoring play that lifted Middlebury to a 4-0 lead.

Sciarretta scored her second of the game on a dish by O'Connell at the 14:23 mark to push the score to 5-0. With 10:37 remaining in the first stanza, Sciarretta collected her third goal following a feed from Sara DiCenso to balloon the advantage to 6-0.

Sciarretta added a fourth goal less than a minute later, and Perticone chipped in her second with 7:59 left in the half to give Middlebury an 8-0 lead. With 5:03 left in the frame, Perticone delivered her third marker to give the Panthers a 9-0 lead at the intermission.

Amherst was held to just two shots in the first 30 minutes, as Mia Haughton hit the post early in the half, while Devin O'Connor had a shot stopped by Panther goalie Katie Mandigo.

Early in the second half, Haughton had a chance to get Amherst on the scoreboard, but her attempt was stopped by Mandigo.

Middlebury increased its lead to 10-0 just 3:34 into the second half when Megan Griffin scored a man-up goal following a dish from Instrum. Griffin scored her second of the stanza – this one on a feed from O'Connell – to extend the lead to 11-0.

At the 18:46 mark, Emma McDonagh found the back of the net to make it 12-0, as O'Connell handed out her fifth helper of the game.

Claire Cagnassola and Andrea Rijo each fired a shot that ventured just off target before Rachel Passarelli found the back of the net to give the Purple & White their first tally of the contest, making the score 12-1 at the 14:10 mark.

Passarelli scored a second time at the 11:28 mark to make it 12-2, before McDonagh halted the Amherst rally with her second of the game for the Panthers just over a minute later to make it 13-2.

With 3:46 on the clock, Kelly Karzewski netted a goal with an extra player to set the differential at 10 goals (13-3), before Haughton scored with four ticks left in the game for the final 13-4 score.  

Sciarretta led Middlebury with four goals giving her 101 for her career, Perticone netted three, while McDonagh and Griffin each scored twice. O'Connell finished with a goal and game-high five assists. Evie Keating led all players with four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Mandigo finished with five saves in goal for the Panthers.

Passarelli scored twice to lead Amherst, while Christy Forrest made four saves in goal.