Women’s lacrosse knocked off in NESCACs

The Middlebury women’s lacrosse team had an intense past week, walking away with a well-earned victory and falling in a tough loss, both in games decided by one goal.  On Friday, April 29, Middlebury traveled to Williams for its regular season finale, beating the Ephs 11-10. The Panthers took an early lead in the game, netting three goals during the first 10 minutes in the half.   Stephanie Gill ’12 tallied one and Sally Ryan ’11 earned two goals of her own.
The Ephs retaliated and put in two of the next three goals; Ryan scored her third of the game between Williams’ two marks. However, Liz Garry ’12 would not concede to the Ephs’ charge and fired back with two unassisted goals within a minute of each other. With 55 seconds left in the half, Williams’ Margie Fulton added a mark to the scoreboard putting the score at 6-3 at the intermission in the Panthers’ favor.
Middlebury came out strong in the second half, scoring five of the first seven goals thanks to Garry, Ryan, Gill, Chase Delano ’11, and Heather Marrison ’13. The Panthers earned a commanding 11-5 lead with 19:21 left in the half.
The remainder of the game was a solid effort by the Ephs, who brought the score within one by netting the next five tallies. The Panthers were able to hold off Williams to walk away with the win and the fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament.
Middlebury hosted fifth-seed Tufts in the NESCAC tournament quarterfinal game on Sunday, May 1 on Kohn Field.  The Jumbos had a strong start to the game, taking a 3-1 lead within the first five minutes of the game. Margaret Souther ’13 and Lucy Jackson ’12 both capitalized on assists from Ryan to tie the game at 3-3 at the 23:30 mark.
The Panthers saw their first lead at the 1:18 mark as Ryan fed Souther the ball for a goal, putting the score at 7-6 to close the half. Jumbo Casey Egan tied up the game, putting in the first goal of the second half. However, Garry responded by netting a free position shot at the 24:34 mark to give the Panthers an 8-7 lead.
Tufts answered with three straight goals giving the Jumbos a 10-8 advantage with 17:45 remaining, prompting a Middlebury timeout. The Panthers came out of the timeout fired up as Delano scored her first goal of the game and Gill put away her second to tie the game for the seventh time. The Jumbos retaliated with another three-goal run, extending their lead to 13-10 with 3:29 remaining in the game.
The Panthers batted back, with Ryan cutting the lead to 13-11 with a goal at the 2:37 mark. With only 29 seconds left in regulation, Gill had an amazing drive to goal, leaving the Panthers with only a one-goal deficit. Unfortunately, Tufts secured the ensuing draw control and were able to protect their 13-12 advantage for the rest of the game.
“Tufts played a very smart game,” said Emma Kramer ’13. “It was clear they had prepared for everything we threw at them. Sunday was just their day but if we had two more minutes I think the game would have ended very differently.”
Ryan led the Panthers during the contest with four goals and three assists, followed by Gill with three goals and Souther with a pair of her own. Nguyen finished the game with six saves.
Co-Captain Ryan now has 142 goals and 58 assists for 200 career points in 63 games. Her 58 assists tie her for sixth all-time at Middlebury, while her 200 points tie her for 10th on the school’s all-time list.
“Sally, Chase and Hilary are amazing players and leaders,” said Halle. “We all worked to emulate them on and off of the field.”
The Panthers are proud of their 10-5 season.
“The Tufts game does not define our season,” said Kramer. “We accomplished so many incredible things and overcame so many difficult obstacles. Every player improved so much as the season progressed and we finished the season as better players and stronger people.”
The Panthers wait to hear if they will receive a bid for the 2011 NCAA tournament.