MIDDLEBURY – In a Saturday matchup of top NCAA Division III and NESCAC teams, the No. 9 Middlebury women’s lacrosse team scored the final 10 goals to erase a four-goal second-half deficit and rally past No. 8 Trinity, 14-8.
The Panthers (10-2, 6-1 NESCAC) face another key league game this coming Saturday, when they visit No. 6 Tufts. The Jumbos are 10-2, 6-1 in NESCAC, but are coming off a loss at Amherst on Saturday and are likely to drop in the rankings while the Panthers will rise. A win at Tufts would put the Panthers in the driver’s seat for first place in the league, while a loss would give the edge to Amherst.
On this past Saturday Trinity (9-4, 5-3 NESCAC) scored the game’s first four goals. The Bantams still led, 8-4, at 21:16 of the second half after scoring the first two goals after the break.
But the Panthers then took over the game. Fifty seconds after Trinity scored to make it 8-4 Erin Nicholas buried a free-position. Kirsten Murphy closed the gap to 8-6 by scoring off a turnover, and 43 seconds later Hollis Perticone converted a free position to make it 8-7 with 17:53 left to play.
The hosts tied the game 17 seconds later, when Georgia Carroll jumped high to quick-stick home a pass from Emma McDonagh. Murphy then gave the Panthers their first lead of the game at 9-8, scoring at 14:34 on another free position after a Bantam foul.
Thirteen seconds later Middlebury scored again, as Perticone won the draw and set up Casey O’Neill. Nicholas and McDonagh added back-to-back free positions strikes, and Jenna McNicholas capped off the surge with two quick-stick shots set up by McDonagh and Murphy.
Murphy led all players with four goals and an assist, while Perticone contributed two goals, an assist, seven ground balls and seven draw controls.
McDonagh reached the 100-point plateau for her career (71 goals, 30 assists in 55 games) by notching a goal and two assists.
Panther defender Alex White caused three turnovers, and goalie Julia Keith made nine saves. Most stats were even, but the Bantams were flagged for 35 fouls to 21 for the Panthers.
Kiley Coffey, Grace O’Donnell and Mary French each scored twice for the Bantams, and goalie Zoe Ferguson made four saves.