Senior Kim Medla has scored a lot of goals for the women’s lacrosse team in her career. One hundred and forty four in 58 games, to be exact.

But Medla has been on an impressive tear lately, even for her. The fourth-year attack has set her career high for goals scored in a game in consecutive contests. Medla scored a then career-best six goals in a 16–15 come-from-behind win against Hartwick College this past Friday, only to follow it up with a new personal best of seven scores in the Bombers’ 16–8 upset win against William Smith College Tuesday on Carp Wood Field.

So forgive the senior captain for having a little fun following her final home game as a Bomber on Tuesday.

“I just know [my career’s] coming to an end, so I’m giving it 110 percent all the time,” Medla said jokingly while flashing her infectious grin.

“No,” she then said seriously, “I just know how far we can go. We can definitely make the NCAAs.”

Nationals? For a 7–6 squad? Normally, that would seem completely out of the question. But for Medla and the rest of the Blue and Gold, in particular the five other seniors, the goal remains simple: win two more games and secure the Empire 8’s automatic NCAA playoff bid.

As the No. 4 seed in the four-team tournament this weekend, the Bombers certainly face an uphill battle, beginning with top-seeded Nazareth College at noon on Saturday.

The South Hill squad dropped a hard fought 12–9 decision to the Golden Flyers on April 6 in Rochester, but as Head Coach Karen Hollands points out, the game came less than 24 hours after an equally difficult tilt with St. John Fisher College. Nazareth, meanwhile, had faced Alfred University (2–10 overall) the previous day, and won easily.

And since those back-to-back losses in Rochester, the Bombers have won four of five contests, losing only to No. 5 Hamilton College. Senior goalie Emily Brooks said the team has come together down the stretch of the regular season.

“Since [the Nazareth game] we’ve grown even stronger,” Brooks said. “We’ve played and beat William Smith, who’s a very strong team. We played Hamilton [and] even though we lost, that was a great experience because they’re a really strong team.”

Brooks, who made a game-high 14 saves, including a handful of impressive one-on-one stops in the win against William Smith, is just one of the Bombers’ six standout seniors. Along with Brooks and Medla, attack Meagan Howell, midfielder Sarah Knauf and defenders Suzy Lull and Eryenne Printz have all helped lead the Blue and Gold to a third Empire 8 tournament berth in their four-year careers.

Medla, Howell and Knauf have combined to score 87 of the Bombers’ 181, or about 48 percent. Lull, Printz and Brooks have anchored the defensive back line, which has steadily improved throughout the season. The unit’s success culminated in the limiting of the Herons to only eight goals, five below their season average.

Hollands said losing any group of seniors is tough but that this year’s group will be particularly difficult for her to part with.

“They’re like your kids by the time you get to four years,” Hollands said. “To see them reach their potential and be such a huge part of our program and to really lead the way that they do [is great] … I couldn’t be prouder of them. They’re all really different in their styles and they have their own way of getting it done.”

If the Bombers are victorious in the opening round of the tournament, they will face the winner of St. John Fisher and the Stevens Institute of Technology. But, as Medla said, the team is moving one step at a time.

“[We just have to] keep on rolling,” Medla said. “Just keep doing what we’re doing.”