Libby Schultz '12 tied a career high with four goals and Rachel Friedman '13 was credited with a career-best four assists to lead nationally ranked No. 3 Hamilton College to a 14-7 win against SUNY Brockport in a 2011 NCAA Division III women's lacrosse championship first round game at Hamilton's Steuben Field on May 11.
The Continentals (18-1 overall) advance to the regional semifinals at SUNY Cortland on Saturday, May 14. Hamilton will meet up with Colby College in the NCAA championship for the third time in the last four years. Colby was a 17-4 winner against Norwich University on Wednesday. The game between the Continentals and the Mules is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.
The score was tied 6-6 at the half, but Hamilton outscored Brockport 8-1 in the final 30 minutes. Dewi Caswell '14 made three of her four saves in the second half for the Continentals.
Schultz also had an assist to tie another career high with five points. She has 11 goals and three assists in the last three games. Friedman set a program record with her 68th goal this year early in the first half when she scored on a free-position shot.
Anne Graveley '11 chipped in three goals for Hamilton, and Katie D'Antonio '14 added two. Ashley Allen '12 and Sarah Bray '11 recorded one goal and one assist apiece. Mariah Monks '13 notched her sixth goal and Martha Plack '14 tallied her 16th. Kate Otley '12 picked up her first assist this year.
Meg Pengue '12 led the defense with three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Friedman also scooped up three ground balls. Monks won three draw controls.
Dayna Piraino '12 paced the Golden Eagles' offense with three goals. Kaila Maguire '13 added two goals, three ground balls and three draw controls. Sarah Brown '13 had two assists. Alyssa Scordo '14 and Karen Bianchi '12 scored one goal apiece, and Carly Motondo '12 had an assist. Bianchi won a game-high four draws and caused one turnover. Stephanie Toomey '13 also forced a turnover.
Brockport (10-7) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Continentals roared back with four straight goals for a 4-2 lead with 15:18 left in the first. The teams traded one goal apiece before the Golden Eagles scored three in a row. Bianchi's 24th this year gave Brockport a 6-5 lead with 2:40 remaining in the half. Bray tied the score with her 41st goal on an assist by Allen 1:39 before the break.
Monks put Hamilton in front to stay 2:22 into the second half on a feed from Friedman, who had all four of her assists after halftime. Allen made it 8-6 on another Friedman assist with 25:31 to play. Piraino pulled the Golden Eagles within one on her 26th goal with a free-position shot with 23:40 left.
The Continentals scored the final six goals to turn a slim lead into a comfortable seven-goal margin. Schultz had three goals and one assist during the game-ending run. Graveley started the spurt with her 28th goal with 19:36 remaining. Plack scored 46 seconds later, and Schultz made it 11-7 with a free-position goal. Hamilton was 4-for-6 on free-position shots.
Schultz scored again with 7:59 left and D'Antonio registered her 23rd goal 48 seconds later. Schultz accounted for the final score on her 34th goal with 1:04 remaining.
The Continentals held a 24-17 shot advantage, and had 16 ground balls to 12 for Brockport. The Golden Eagles owned a 12-11 edge in draw controls.
Hamilton has won 16 straight games, and 48 of its last 49 at home. The Continentals improved to 13-5 in seven NCAA championship appearances. This was the first game between Hamilton and Brockport.
