The #1/top-seeded Middlebury women's lacrosse team used a decisive four-goal run during Sunday's second and third quarters to turn a 1-1 defensive battle into a 5-1 advantage and eventual 7-5 triumph over #4/third-seeded Wesleyan in the NESCAC Championship. With the victory, the Panthers claimed their conference-leading 13th title and the third in the last four seasons. Middlebury receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week.
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HIGHLIGHTS
- The Panthers struck first with 1:34 expired in the initial quarter. Caroline Adams ripped a free-position attempt under the crossbar to make it a 1-0 contest.
- The hosts won the ensuing draw control and worked the ball around the field. Adams gathered a pass and looked to increase the lead a minute later, but Wesleyan goalie Izzy Weintraub raised her stick to save the bid.
- The Cardinals had a strong scoring chance with 3:51 showing on the clock in transition. Addie Cummings secured a feed on the right side of the crease, but goalie Elizabeth Savage denied her point-blank opportunity to maintain the one-goal edge.
- Wesleyan knotted the contest 42 seconds into the second stanza. Caroline Cervini buried a twirling shot into the top-left corner to tie things at 1-1.
- Middlebury began its decisive run less than two minutes later, with Adams having a hand in all three scores. The senior dodged down the left channel and fed Maggie Spehr, who spun and deposited her shot into the top portion of the net for a 2-1 lead. The senior connected with Siobhan Colin in transition nearly three minutes later, while Adams tallied her second free-position marker of the half with 2:27 left for a 4-1 advantage.
- Sophia Lee capped the Panther run 3:47 after the break, dodging through traffic before burying her left-handed chance over Weintraub's shoulder.
- The visitors looked to cut into the deficit with 6:36 on the clock, but Kyra Browne's sidewinding shot was plucked out of the air by Savage.
- The Cardinals made it a three-goal contest with 1:14 left when Elle Preising laced a bid through defenders that found the back of the cage to make it 5-2.
- With 2:30 elapsed in the fourth quarter and Middlebury in transition, Weintraub denied a close-range look by a tip-toeing Skylar Lach on the doorstep.
- The Panthers regained their four-goal advantage (6-2) with 8:21 left when Adams tickled the twine on a free-position chance.Â
- Wesleyan tallied a pair of goals 1:19 apart. Mya Waryas rifled an attempt from straight on (5:17), while Bridget Horst wrinkled the nylon on a quick-stick opportunity (3:58) to trim the deficit to 6-4.
- Middlebury won the ensuing draw and circled the ball through the zone. Colin drove and fed Spehr at the top of the crease for a quick conversion and a 7-4 edge with 2:51 remaining.
- The red and black didn't go away, as Cervini ripped a behind-the-back look that tucked into the top-left corner with 48.4 seconds left.
- The Panthers claimed the next draw and ran out the clock, securing the hard-fought decision.
NOTES
- Adams finished with three goals and two assists for five points. Her total of 17 points is one shy of the NESCAC Tournament record. Adams won a game-best eight draws, becoming the fifth player in program history to surpass 100 in a spring (103).
- Caroline Messer continued her torrid stretch, concluding the contest with three caused turnovers, a trio of draws won and two ground balls.
- Savage posted six saves in the victory, giving her 204 for her career. She improves to 35-0 in her career and 18-0 this season.
- Middlebury has appeared in all 24 NESCAC Tournaments and played in the championship game 16 times.
- Sunday's contest was the 29th meeting in the all-time series between the sides, with the navy and white holding a 28-1 advantage. The programs met for just the fourth time in the NESCAC Tournament and the second in the championship contest, with Middlebury posting an 11-5 victory in the 2024 clash.
Middlebury awaits its opponent when the NCAA Tournament selection show takes place on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
