Colby Wins 2008 Women's Lacrosse Championship
Courtesy Middlebury Athletic Communications
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Colby won its first NESCAC
women’s lacrosse championship with a 14-12 victory over
Trinity at Middlebury College’s Kohn Field. The Mules earn an
automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out their fate
when the selections are announced on Sunday night.
Trinity was strong early, taking a 4-2 lead in the game’s first 6:18 behind a pair of goals from Caitlin Irvine. Colby answered with a three-goal run to take its first lead of the game at 5-4 on a tally from Kate Sheridan just 19 seconds after their previous goal. Trinity tied the game as Irvine scored her third of the half with a nice feed from C.J. Yanofsky at the 12:33 mark. Colby went into the halftime break with a 6-5 lead as Kathleen Kramer finished off a long possession with a nice feed from Becky Julian for the goal.
The teams exchanged the first four goals of the second half, leaving Colby with an 8-7 lead. The Mules then went on an impressive four goal run over a 6:25 span to take a 12-7 lead with 11:12 left to play. Sheridan netted the first of the four with a high hard shot from 10 yards away, followed by a nice catch and shoot goal from Lauren Strazzula to Julian. Casey Thomas and Carly Rapaport scored the final two that gave the Mules some breathing room.
Trinity answered right back as Sarah Remes found the back of the net just 16 seconds later, followed by a goal from Rachel Romanowsky to make it a 12-9 game. Colby answered before the Bantams ran off three more goals to come within one at 13-12. Irvine scored the first of the three, followed by a free position conversion by Remes. Irvin made it a one-goal game with just 2:26 remaining on the clock.
Trinity would have a great chance to tie the game with 1:13 remaining, but Irvin’s free position shot bounced off the pipe and squirted wide. Sheridan scored an empty-net goal late for Colby to seal the 14-12 win.
Sheridan led Colby with a four-goal afternoon, Julian scored three, while Carrie Lovejoy netted a pair. Julian set a championship record for total points with 17 in her three tournament games, finishing the 2008 playoffs with 11 goals, which also tied a championship record, and six assists. Irvine of Trinity tied a NESCAC Tournament record with six goals in the game, while Romanowsky, Remes and Alisen Urquhart each scored twice. Sarah Warnke made five saves for Colby to earn the win, while Michelle Smith made 15 stops for the Bantams.
2008 NESCAC WOMEN’S
LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Sunday, April 27 at Higher Seeds
at
No. 2 Amherst 8, No. 7 Wesleyan 7
at
No. 3 Trinity 12, No. 6 Bowdoin 9
No. 5
Colby 22, at No. 4 Tufts 14
Semifinals - Saturday, May 3 at Middlebury
No. 5
Colby 10, at No. 1 Middlebury 8
No. 3
Trinity 10, vs. No. 2 Amherst 9 - 2OT
Championship - Sunday, May
4 at Middlebury
No. 5 Colby 14, No. 3 Trinity 12
