Women's LAX Holds Off Elms in Final Seconds

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's lacrosse team pulled ahead in the final minute and held off a last-second flurry from Elms College to post a 15-14 victory on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Ashley Murtha netted the go-ahead goal for the Mariners with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, and goalie Samantha Ryan stopped a shot right before the final horn to preserve the win. Mitchell improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in New England Collegiate Conference play.

Murtha led all players with six goals and added one assist for a seven-point day. Amanda Rowan and Kate McCormack contributed four goals apiece while Katie McBride found the back of the net once.

Ashley Cava posted a game-high nine points for Elms (2-6 overall, 0-2 NECC), finishing with three goals and six assists. Jackie Soucia added four goals and three helpers while Vanessa Vurno and Jillian Pirog each recorded hat tricks.

The Blazers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 5:27 behind tallies from Cava and Vurno. The Mariners responded with four straight scores—two from McCormack and two from Murtha—to pull in front 4-2 with 19:35 to go in the half.

Elms answered back with four straight goals to regain the lead. Soucia scored twice during the stretch while Cava played a part in three of the tallies, including a man-down score with 4:34 to go that gave the Blazers a 6-4 edge.

Elms led 7-5 at the break after McCormack and Cava traded goals in the final 3:50 of the half. Pirog opened the second-half scoring to give the Blazers their biggest lead of the day at 8-5, but McCormack and Rowan scored just 12 seconds apart to bring the Mariners back to within one.

Rowan later tied the game at 10-10 off a feed from Murtha with 13:27 remaining in the contest. She then won the ensuing draw and ended up scoring on a free position attempt to give Mitchell its first lead of the half.

After a Murtha goal put the Mariners ahead by two, Soucia scored near the crease and drew a penalty that resulted in a man advantage for the Blazers. Mitchell then committed another penalty to go down two players, and Elms pulled even on a score by Vurno. A shorthanded goal by Murtha gave the Mariners a brief lead, although Elms capitalized again with a man-up tally from Pirog to tie the game at 13-13.

Murtha scored with 2:55 remaining to put Mitchell up one, but Vurno answered back with the equalizer with 1:07 to play. Rowan came away with the ensuing draw control to give Mitchell possession, and Murtha netted the go-ahead goal with 30 seconds left in the half.

Soucia won a critical draw to give Elms one final chance in the closing seconds. She rushed the cage and fired a shot that hit off the post. Vurno scooped up the rebound and attempted a game-tying shot in the final second, but the shot was swallowed up by Ryan in goal.

Ryan finished with a season-high 18 saves in the contest, none bigger than the final one. Elms goalie Octavia McAllister made 10 saves in the loss.

Mitchell will next play at Daniel Webster College on Tuesday, April 5 at 4 p.m. Elms returns to action at Bay Path University on Tuesday at 4 p.m.