Maroon Women’s Lacrosse Defeats Capital 19-14 in NCAA Second Round

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CHICAGO – In its opening recreation of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship, the College of Chicago girls’s lacrosse group pulled away from Capital College within the second half to safe a 19-14 victory on Sunday afternoon.

The No. 20-ranked Maroons (18-1 report) superior to the NCAA Spherical of 16, the place they are going to tackle No. 2-ranked Middlebury School subsequent weekend. The Comets concluded their season with a 20-1 report.

After qualifying for the NCAA postseason for the second-straight season, the Maroons earned a first-round bye on this 12 months’s bracket. Their second-round opponent Capital was making its first-ever look within the NCAA Division III Championship area and boasted the highest scoring offense within the nation at 20 objectives per recreation.

Because the host college, UChicago was seeking to prolong its dominance on the Stagg Discipline turf – the squad got here into the weekend with a 31-0 all-time report at residence.

Nevertheless, it was Capital who regarded extra comfy within the early going, constructing a 3-1 lead by the primary 4 minutes of recreation time. UChicago’s first objective of the day got here courtesy of first-year Jane Chen on a feed by sophomore Lulu Hardy with 11:44 left within the interval.

It was a bodily recreation all through, as each groups used aggressive checking towards their speedy counterparts throughout the sector each on the defensive experience and within the important scoring space. The squads mixed for 61 fouls, six playing cards and 14 free-position photographs.

UChicago discovered its stride as the primary quarter wore on, scoring 4 in-a-row to go up 5-3 after quarter-hour of play. Junior Anneke Pulkkinen had the new hand with a hat trick within the interval, whereas junior Zoe Torok added a free-position objective of her personal.

The offensive execution picked up within the second quarter with a mixed 11 objectives. The ultimate minute earlier than halftime was notably hectic with each groups scoring twice in a 46-second span. With its rhythm discovered offensively, UChicago took an 11-8 lead into the break. Six totally different Maroons contributed objectives within the second quarter.

The Comets chopped the deficit all the best way right down to 11-10 just below six minutes into the third quarter. The hosts regarded out of types for an eight-minute span as Capital started to impose its will. Nevertheless, UChicago received a giant increase from its beginning goalkeeper. First-year Rachel Keefe stonewalled Capital all through the second half, making 10 saves over the ultimate half-hour. Her positioning and reflexes allowed her to save lots of a number of one-on-one open shot alternatives by Capital.

With Keefe preserving Capital’s attackers at bay, the Maroons rediscovered their kind halfway by the third quarter and took off from there. Over the following 15-plus minutes, UChicago launched into an enormous 8-0 run that put the sport out of attain. Hardy scored 3 times throughout that stretch, first-year Evelina Swigart discovered the again of the online twice and Chen dished out three assists. With six minutes left within the recreation, UChicago owned a commanding 19-10 lead on the scoreboard.

Capital pushed laborious within the ultimate two minutes to place up four-straight objectives. However the end result was by no means doubtful because the Maroons reached the NCAA Spherical of 16 for the second-consecutive 12 months.

On the offensive finish, Hardy was the pacesetter with 4 objectives, one help and two floor balls. Pulkkinen tallied 4 objectives as nicely. Torok submitted two objectives, two assists and 4 draw controls. Swigart contributed two objectives, two assists and two floor balls. Senior Lally Johnson put up two objectives and two floor balls. First-year Olivia Escoffery added two objectives and one help. Chen completed with one objective, 5 assists, two floor balls and two brought about turnovers.

Sophomore Lizzie Huesman was a menace within the midfield and defensively. She completed with 9 draw controls, 4 brought about turnovers and two floor balls. Senior Adriana Shutler collected three floor balls and two brought about turnovers. Junior Becky Van Kirk totaled three floor balls, 4 draw controls and one brought about turnover.

Keefe improved to 18-1 on the 12 months and tied her season excessive with 12 saves. She additionally snagged 4 floor balls.

The field rating noticed UChicago maintain slim benefits in photographs (41-38), draw controls (20-17) and floor balls (24-17). The Maroons additionally dedicated 5 extra turnovers than the Comets (22 to 17). UChicago transformed 20 of 27 clears whereas Capital went 19-for-23.

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