This past Saturday, Apr. 29, Colby Women’s Lacrosse defeated Trinity College in a NESCAC quarterfinal matchup. The game was the second between the two teams in the span of a week, the Mules having won a 12–11 thriller the prior weekend. Last week’s victory ensured that the Mules would be the fourth-seeded team in the NESCAC, while the Bantams would be the fifth seed, making the quarterfinal contest a home game for Colby. Both sides have seen considerable success within the NESCAC and on the national level this season. Colby and Trinity earned the ranks of twelfth and fourteenth in the most recent Division III poll.
Saturday’s quarterfinal match played out similarly to the regular season contest, with the Bantams jumping out to an early lead behind goals from stars Lilly Ives and Molly McGuckin. Following McGuckin’s goal, Ainsley Dion `25 controlled the draw for the Mules, setting off an offensive possession that ended with a Gianna Bruno `23 goal to break the ice for the Mules. The Bantams responded quickly, as Casey Ward converted a free-position shot to bring the Trinity lead to 3–1. The Mules made a change in net, bringing in Jillian Kane `25 to replace Sarah Hearns `24. Yet again, the Bantams scored a free-position attempt, and Grace Denious followed it up with another Trinity score.
The two teams continued the high pace of scoring in the final minutes of the first quarter, as Paige Saudek `26 tallied the Mules’ second goal and Caroline Lampert added a sixth for Trinity. The Mules began to chip away at the deficit early in the second, opening quickly with goals from Cami McDonald `24 and Annie Eddy `23. Alex Lesko scored the first Bantams goal of the quarter from the free position, which the Mules answered with a goal from Ally Franz `24. Trinity had an opportunity to open their lead back up following a yellow card called against Colby’s Izzy Wang `26, but Kane saved the resulting free-position attempt before Dion scored a shorthanded goal to bring the deficit to one. The Mules finally drew even after a free-position goal by Julia Jardina `25.
Colby threatened to take the lead late in the half, missing three free-position attempts within thirty seconds. They finally broke through just before the break, as Elizabeth Hennessey `23 gave the Mules their first lead of the game.
The third quarter was quiet offensively for both teams, but Saudek scored her second goal of the game to bring the lead to two. Elle Fair responded with a score of her own for the Bantams, but McDonald restored the lead in the final seconds of the frame.
Franz opened the final quarter with a Colby goal, but Trinity charged back, scoring two consecutive goals to make it a one-goal game with five minutes to play. Saudek secured a hat trick as she put the game out of reach with three minutes remaining. Kane stopped a Bantams free-position attempt in the final minute, putting the finishing touches on 12–10 first-round victory.
In next weekend’s NESCAC semifinal, Colby is slated for a rematch with nationally top-seeded Middlebury, who beat the Mules 17–5 during the regular season.
~ Julian Cangieter-Hernandez `25
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