Chester, Pa. - Sophomore Kiley Coffey (West Newbury, Mass.) scored three times, including the game-winner in the second half, and added a game-high five draw controls and the Bantam defense allowed just two goals and 11 shots to lead Trinity College to a 6-2 victory over the Franklin and Marshall College Diplomats in the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship Semifinals at Talen Energy Stadium this afternoon. Trinity, ranked No. 7 in the nation, advances to its fifth consecutive NCAA Championship game, having won the title in 2012, and will face New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Middlebury for the third time this spring in the title game.  The Bantams improve to 19-3 with their win over the Diplomats in as many tries including the 2015 NCAA Semifinals. No. 6-ranked Franklin and Marshall closes the year at 21-3.

"We were prepared to face a great defense and knew the game would come down to who won the most of those 50-50 balls," said Trinity Head Coach Katy Dissinger.  "We were able to win a bunch of draw controls and loose balls, and we did a great job of being patient on our possessions."

The game started slowly, as the first 20 minutes included eight turnovers, two caused by Bantam senior co-captain Ashley Stewart (Dover, Mass.) and five combined saves by Trinity sophomore goalie Zoe Ferguson (Ridgewood, N.J.) and sophomore backstop Danielle Harrington (Massapequa, N.Y.). Ferguson stopped Diplomat senior attacker Grace Saliba (Davidsonville, Md.) on a shot from point-blank range 2:10 into the game and made another fantastic stop against senior Anastasia Mergner (West Caldwell, N.J.) who received a pass alone in front of the crease at the 21:45 mark. Trinity sophomore attacker Allie Barrett (Concord, Mass.) nearly scored six minutes into the game but her shot from close was stopped by Harrington, and junior midfielder Karly Simpson (South Hadley, Mass.) had two early shot saved including a bouncing attempt off a free position.  Franklin and Marshall sophomore attacker Paige Moriarty (Glen Ridge, N.J.) was awarded a free-position shot with just under 10 minutes left in the first half, but her stick was hit as she shot and Ferguson came up the ball.

Trinity senior co-captain midfielder Martha Griffin (Exeter, N.H.) finally started the scoring when she streaked down the middle and received a pass from the right side by Barrett before juking one defender and firing the ball past Harrington with 8:04 on the clock.  Coffey won the ensuing draw and Trinity capitalized when junior attacker Clare Lyne (Concord, Mass.) bounced in a free-position shot for a 2-0 Bantam lead with 7:34 left before the break.  After another Harrington save on a Simpson shot, the Diplomats cut their deficit in half on a tally from Mergner to sophomore midfielder Katie Groenke (Baltimore, Md.) with 5:37 to go, and Franklin and Marshall tied it, 2-2, in the closing seconds when Saliba one-timed in a pass by junior Natalie Delinsky (Marriottsville, Md.). 

Trinity continued to turn the Diplomats over often early in the second half, but Harrington continued her strong play with five saves in the opening 14 minutes of the second stanza including two against Bantam sophomore attacker Abby McInerney (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) on free positions. Coffey put Trinity ahead at the 14:37 mark, using a spin to get space from her defender and score while the Bantams had the extra player advantage.  Saliba earned a free-position shot at the 11:29 mark, but was denied by Trinity senior goalie Emily Mooney (New York, N.Y.) who had entered the game at halftime.

After another Diplomat yellow card, Lyne used a hesitation move at the top of the arc to shake two defenders and shot up the middle before bouncing a shot past Harrington for a 4-2 Trinity lead at the 7:28 mark. Coffey controlled the draw and converted on a feed by Barrett with 4:41 left, and completed her hat trick 41 seconds later with a low shot into an emptyy goal with Harrington off the field. Mooney made her second save on a Delinsky bid moments later, and Trinity held the ball for the game's remainder.

"In the first half, possession was such a key so we knew we had to keep getting stops in the second half to keep the momentum," said Mooney. "Our communication was was the most important part of us getting it done on defense." 

Trinity finished with a 20-to-11 shooting edge and won eight of 10 draw controls, while Franklin and Marshall committed 25 fouls to nine for the Bantams.  Stewart, Lyne, and junior defender Lara Guida (Mendham, N.J.) came up with two caused turnovers each for the stifling Trinity defense, while Ferguson and Mooney combined for four saves.  Bantam senior Abby Hughes (Wenham, Mass.) scooped a team-high four ground balls, while Lyne added two draw controls to her two goals.  Harrington notched four ground balls and eight saves, while Stephanie Speese (Fort Washington, Pa.) notched a game-high three caused turnovers for the Diplomats.

Trinity won its first game at Middlebury, coached by Kate Livesay who was the Bantam bench boss for its first three appearances in the NCAA title game from 2012 to 2014, 13-9, on the road in mid-April.  The Panthers won at Trinity, 10-7, in the NESCAC title game and have stayed hot with four NCAA wins including a 16-11 triumph over defending NCAA Champion Cortland State earlier today.  Trinity had beaten Middlebury nine times in a row prior to the NESCAC Championship game.

"I am thrilled that two NESCAC teams get to play in the NCAA Finals because it says a great deal about the strength of our conference," said Dissinger.  "We will have to concentrate on playing our game and not worry about soreness or being tired from playing back to back."

Coffey added," Every single NESCAC game is such a battle so that just amps up the title game even more."

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