Written by Jack Bush-Joseph
The women’s lacrosse team took a trip to Rockford, Ill., this last weekend to go up against two strong opponents, Concordia University (Wisc.) and Augustana College. If there was any debate over who was the best team in the western region for NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse, the Tigers have surely squashed it. The Tigers have had an awesome season so far, not only outplaying opponents but also consistently outshooting and outhustling them as well. Their official record of 13-2 includes a current eight-game win streak, and they are 8-1 on the road as well.
The team’s most recent games were in Oregon over seventh block break where they swept opponents Pacific University, Linfield College, and George Fox University in easy fashion. Thanks to good scheduling, the team had plenty of experience going into big games on the road and were able to carry that over after the short break. The team’s ability to play at a high level makes the potential of an NCAA tournament bid all the more likely as they have practically solidified their position on the Western throne.
In the weekend’s first game against Concordia University, the Tigers rolled over the Falcons with a commanding 24-6 final score. Colorado College won 25 of 31 face-off draws, and recorded an astounding 47 shots compared to the Falcons’ 12.
In the women’s second game of the weekend, the Tigers had a huge second half rally to beat Augustana College in their last game of the regular season. The Vikings led the Tigers five minutes into the second half after they scored to make it 11-13.
“Things were pretty even in the first half with both teams going blow for blow, it really was a battle,” said junior midfielder Lydia Freliech.
But always rising up to the challenge, junior midfield Mary Taussig started the Tigers’ nine-goal run after scoring on a free-position shot. Subsequent goals by first-year attacker Nikki Blair and sophomore Annie DeFrino gave the Tigers the lead they would never give back. In what started out as an exciting and competitive game with eight early lead changes, the Tigers’ strong perseverance allowed them to come out victorious.
“We battled a very tough opponent for 60 minutes and I am proud of our ability to fight as a unit through every play,” said Head Coach Susan Stuart. “We kept our composure and stuck to the game plan, which is why we played so well during the second half.”
The team outshot their opponent 43 to 29, having a slight difference in ground balls with six more than the Vikings.
The weekend victories were especially satisfying since they were accompanied by sophomore attacker Stephanie Kelly breaking the previous single season points record with 86 total, which was set by Mary Everett in 1999, as well as junior midfielder Mary Taussig joining the impressive 150 career points club.
The Tigers are very hopeful looking forward to the bracket selection for the 2016 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship since they are in their best position since 2007.
Sunday’s West-Region Showdown against Augustana wrapped up a more than impressive regular season at 13-2 for the team as they tied with the school record for the second-most wins in a single season. The selections for the tournament will be announced on Sunday, May 8 via the NCAA selection show on the their website.