Women's Lacrosse

#1 Middlebury Endures Defensive Battle to Claim 8-6 Victory Over #2 Wesleyan in NCAA Women's Lacrosse Title Tilt

Tied at three entering the second half, the No. 1 Middlebury women's lacrosse team outscored No. 2 Wesleyan 5-3 over the final 30 minutes to seal an 8-6 win in the NCAA Championship. It marks the program's fifth consecutive title and the 50th national championship in the history of Middlebury Athletics.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Skylar Lach put the Panthers in front with 2:24 gone in the first quarter, catching a feed from Caroline Adams and skipping her shot into the center of the net.
  • Less than two minutes later, Caroline Cervini avoided two defenders late in the possession clock to tie the game at 1-1.
  • Mya Waryas converted a free-position shot into the right side of the net with 33 ticks left to give the Cardinals a 2-1 edge after 15 minutes.
  • After a caused turnover by Lucy Bishop, Middlebury nearly cashed in with 12:50 remaining in the second stanza. Lach twirled around the crease and tried a low-angle shot toward the left post. Wesleyan goalie Izzy Weintraub dropped down to smother the chance.
  • Elle Priesing doubled the Cardinal lead just 17 seconds later on a quick-stick bouncer that rustled the right panel.
  • Siobhan Colin trimmed the deficit to one about three minutes later. The attacker caught the ball on her left side before spinning around a trio of defenders and ripping a bouncer that snuck over Weintraub's right shoulder.
  • Adams maintained the momentum with 6:51 remaining in the half. She hitched and drove around a Cardinal defender before firing a sizzling shot that snuck over the line to tie the game at 3-3.
  • Panther netminder Elizabeth Savage and Weintraub answered the call as the first half trickled down, tallying four combined stops to keep the contest tied at the half.
  • Wesleyan rolled to a quick start in the third stanza.  Bridget Horst found a cutting Abby Galaris for a shot inside the left post just 1:54 into the session.
  • With 12:14 showing, Parker Hanson threw a behind-the-net feed toward a darting Haley Hamilton. The senior did the rest, firing a one-time shot into the left panel to tie the game at four.
  • Each team wrinkled the nylon less than a minute apart. Dylan Green deposited a free position skipper inside the right post (9:45), while Maddie Ackerman unfurled a cross-body shot into the right panel with an extra player at 8:36.
  • Hamilton pushed the Panthers back in front (6-5) via a free position shot with 7:18 remaining.
  • With 27 seconds left in the third stanza, Colin lined up for a free-position attempt. The sophomore took two steps and skipped the ball past Weintraub's left foot to give Middlebury a 7-5 advantage.
  • Lach found a cutting Adams darting in from the left side at the 5:42 mark. With two defenders closing in, the senior caught the ball on the run and tucked it underneath the crossbar for an 8-5 contest.
  • Becca Dibble nearly trimmed the lead with 7:36 remaining, but her sizzling shot clanged off the right portion of the crossbar.
  • With 4:29 remaining, Cervini hauled in a rising pass from Priesing and released a rising shot in time to find nylon and make it 8-6.
  • The red and black knocked on the door after going a player up at the 11:19 mark. Dibble collected possession and darted toward the left post, but a perfectly-timed double team by Lauren Giuriceo and Emma McCann dislodged the ball from her stick.
  • Middlebury shaved precious time off the clock on the ensuing possession, burning all 90 seconds of the shot clock to give Wesleyan less than a minute to work with.
  • After a failed clear with 24 ticks left, the Cardinals pushed the envelope with consecutive bids by Dibble (0:18) and Green (0:02) in the waning seconds. Savage stopped both point-blank opportunities to seal the two-goal triumph.

NOTES

  • Adams was named the tournament's most outstanding player, while Lucy Bishop, Colin, Giuriceo, and Jaime Patton-Martin joined her on the all-tournament squad.
  • The win marks the 12th NCAA title in program history, tying The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) for the most in Division III history. The Panthers' 90 victories in the national bracket also match the Lions.
  • Sunday's championship is the 50th in Middlebury Athletics history. Since the 1993-94 campaign, the Panthers have won 46 NCAA titles.
  • Adams led the charge with two goals and an assist. She concludes the season with 117 points, slotting her second all-time in a single season.
  • Colin and Hamilton each had two markers in the win.
  • Hanson logged a team-high 10 helpers during NCAA Tournament action.
  • Messer's two caused turnovers put her one shy of the single-season mark of 48 set by Erica Barr in 2023.
  • It marks the 30th all-time meeting between Middlebury and Wesleyan and the second in the NCAA Tournament. The navy and white hold a 29-1 advantage over their conference foe.
  • Savage improves to 39-0 in her career and 22-0 this campaign.
  • The Panthers end their campaign with a 23-0 mark. It is the third time in the last five seasons that the squad finished the season undefeated.
  • Head Coach Kate Livesay '03 has claimed 10 combined national championships as a coach and a player.
  • The senior class of Adams, Messer, Giuirceo, Britt Nawrocki, Lach and Hamilton cap their careers with a 90-1 overall mark, including an unblemished 20-0 record in NCAA Tournament play.


POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE