The College’s women’s lacrosse team continued to build on their already impressive résumé with wins in their last two home games of the season over the No. 4 ranked Franklin and Marshall College and Kean University this week.
The Lions came out on top against Franklin & Marshall, the defending Division III national champions, with an 11-7 victory.
The Lions came at the Diplomats with a balanced offensive attack, but the deciding factor of the game came down to ball control.
Sophomore midfielder Kathleen Notos played a prominent role in assuring possession for the Lions as her stick helped the Lions win 16 of the 20 draw controls.
Even when the Lions lost out on the draw controls Notos and the rest of the Lions were there to take the ball back.
“Everybody wanted it so bad,” Notos said. “We just ended up getting the ball and everyone had each other’s back, so when I missed a ball someone else was there to come up with it.”
The Lions’ defense also dug deep to provide a strong effort to silence the sticks of the Diplomats. Senior attacker Blake Hargest, a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award, and the Diplomats were shut out for the last 19:48 of the first half and then for another span of 19:42 after they scored two quick goals in the second half.
“We played really well in the midfield,” junior goalie Marry Waller said. “They couldn’t bring it down on us and when they did we played with confidence and as a unit, they just couldn’t get through us.”
On the offensive side, junior midfielder Ali Jaeger and sophomore attacker Sara Keating lead the Lions with three goals. Notos and sophomore midfielder Leigh Mitchell provided two more goals apiece to round it out for the Lions.
With the 16-1 win over Kean University on Sunday April 25 also came the final minutes of playing on the turf of Lions Stadium for senior attackers Lisa Seldeen, Lisa Malloy and Robin Deehan.
“It’s bittersweet,” Deehan said. “I’m happy that we won, but it’s sad at the same time because it’s the last time I’ll ever play in this stadium.”
The seniors brought their best games to the table to come out victorious in the last home game of their careers.
Deehan headlined the group of seniors with three goals and two assists, while Seldeen had a goal and two assists of her own.
Malloy, who came into the game with one career goal, was the most pleasant surprise for the Lions as she walked off the field with two goals against the Cougars.
“It’s hard leaving the turf,” Malloy said. “It’s a little bit emotional knowing that it’s last game on the turf, but we had a good run and I’m proud to be on this team.”
“(Seldeen, Malloy and Deehan) have done a great job over the last four years,” head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “Three girls who never gave me a problem, they’re into it. They’re the reason why we keep getting kids in the program, they make the program. They have been outstanding leaders and I couldn’t have asked any more of them this year.”
The Lions will conclude the regular season with away games against Stevens Institute of Technology and SUNY Cortland.
“We have two really big games left,” Pfluger said. “(Stevens) will be a competitive match, so we’re totally concentrating on that right now. Hopefully we’ll reach our goals for that and then we can move onto Cortland.”
