May 11, 2008
From Colgate Athletic Communications
Philadelphia, Pa. - The Colgate women's lacrosse team gave second-seeded Penn all it could handle, but in the end, the top-ranked Quakers came out on top, 16-7, in the NCAA tournament first-round game on Sunday, May 11, at Franklin Field.
After spotting Penn a 3-0 lead, Colgate netted three of the next five goals to make the scoreboard read 5-3 just 10 minutes into the game. However, the Quakers scored each of the next four before junior Molly Carroll broke the streak at the 7:09 mark to make it a 9-4 lead. Penn added the final goal of the session 1:20 before the break to make the score 10-4 at halftime.
Penn rattled off the first four goals of the second half to widen its lead to 10 goals, 14-4, before the session was 12 minutes old. However, Colgate wasn't about to go quietly, and broke up the run with just under 17 minutes to play. The teams traded goals the rest of the way, including two by the Raiders over the last 3:04.
While Penn boasts the nation's top defense, Colgate junior goalkeeper Sara Drexler (Pottstown, Pa.) earned her share of applause in the first half, when she made six of her seven saves on the day. Ivy League Player of the Year Sarah Waxman posted six saves in the Quaker win.
Junior tri-captain Ashley Didio led Colgate's offense with two goals and an assist. Freshman Colleen Bubnack contributed a pair of goals, and Carroll finished with a goal and an assist. Senior Lindsay Pittard and junior Maddie Kearns also found the back of the net for the Raiders. Colgate's seven goals were the most scored by a Raider team in the NCAA tournament.
Penn's balanced offense got three goals each from Rachel Manson, Melissa Lehman, and Ali DeLuca. Manson also added a game-high two assists. Emma Spiro, Giulia Giordano, and Barb Seaman all posted two goals, and Allison Ambrozy scored once. Ten different Quakers combined for 11 assists in the game.
Penn outshot Colgate, 31-16, and earned a 17-12 edge on groundballs. The Raiders won 13-of-25 draws on the day, including six-of-10 in the second half.
Colgate finishes the season with an 11-10 overall record, including a 5-1 mark in Patriot League play. The Raiders will return all but two players in 2009, with the only losses being Pittard and senior classmate Jessica Van der Meulen.
