The Ithaca College women’s lacrosse team won a high-scoring affair against the Vassar College Brewers on May 5 21–13, advancing to the Liberty League Championship game.
It was a markedly different game from the last time the teams matched up, where the Brewers took a 13–12 victory April 8. The Bombers saw stellar performances from virtually the entire starting lineup, including five players scoring a hat trick. Junior attacker Maizy Veitch led the way with four goals and two assists, while junior midfielder Caroline Wise grabbed 13 draw controls to go along with three goals.
Both teams came out of the gates with blazing speed. A goal by Brewers’ senior attacker Kateri Sanseviro 42 seconds into the first frame would set the pace for a quarter that saw 14 goals between the two teams.
The Bombers did not wait long to respond, with sophomore attacker Maddie Hall putting her first goal of the game into the net 30 seconds later. But the Brewers answered back fast once again, adding two more in the next two minutes to take an early 3–1 lead.
With just under 12 minutes to go, Hall added another goal to the scoreboard before junior attacker Chloe Nordyke tied the game at three less than 30 seconds later. This would lead to a lengthy three-minute run where neither team could get on the board again until sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Green gave the Bombers a 4–3 lead with 8:30 to go. With one minute left in the frame, Nordyke would put away her second goal to give the Bombers an 8–4 lead.
As the clock wound down, it looked like the Brewers would go into the second quarter down four goals. But goals with 35 and four seconds left would tighten the score, making it 8–6 Bombers after 15 minutes.
First-year student attacker Leigh Naturale got the scoring started in the second quarter one minute in, but Vassar would erase the deficit thanks to some strong defensive plays and a handful of saves by Brewer’s junior goalkeeper Lauren Johns, tying it at nine with six minutes left. Going into the half, the Bombers had a one-goal advantage, leading the Brewers 11–10.
Hall said the team readjusted a bit during the break after a high-scoring first quarter and a close second, which was what contributed to the Bombers’ improvement in the second half.
“Trusting each other, trusting that we could take those drives,” Hall said. “Those high drives were working all day.”
The third quarter is where the Bombers really took over. Hall scored her third goal and 22 seconds later, Veitch scored her third. Vassar would earn a goal back, but the Bombers answered with three straight to take a 16–11 lead with four minutes to go.
Bombers’ junior midfielder Sydney Phillips woke up in the second half, scoring the first of her three goals to give the Bombers a 17–12 advantage with under three to play. By the end of the frame, the five-point lead would prove to be too much for the Brewers.
In the final quarter, Phillips put two more in to help the Bombers put away the Brewers. Junior goalkeeper Lexi Held only had to face two shots in the period, saving one for her ninth of the game.
Hall, who tied her career-high with three goals and set a new mark with two assists, said the team was able to properly adjust after losing to the Brewers earlier in the season.
“Our offense getting more connected [contributed],” Hall said. “Last game, we were kind of uncoordinated. I think this time, we communicated more, brought things together, so we definitely progressed.”
The win sent the Bombers through to the conference finals against nationally ranked No. 3 William Smith College on May 7, but the South Hill squad was unable to come out victorious, falling 14–4. The team closed out its 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the conference and No. 25 nationally.
