Hartford, Conn. - The Trinity College women's lacrosse team, which downed Springfield, 16-4, on Sunday in the NCAA Division III Championship Second Round to improve to 12-6, has advanced to the NCAA Regionals and will head to Salisbury University this weekend for the NCAA Third Round and quarterfinals. The Bantams will play the Rhodes College Lynx in the NCAA Third Round on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., following the other third round game between the Denison University Big Red and the Salisbury University Sea Gulls at 11:30 a.m., and the winners will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals on Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday's victor will advance to the NCAA National Semifinals and Finals, which Trinity has participated in each of the last six seasons, in Salem, Va. on May 26 and 27. Tickets will be $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and student with ID, and $2 for children ages 3 to 12.
Game Notes
Trinity, coached by Katy Dissinger (4th Season), is playing in its 11th NCAA Tournament in the last 12 years and also participated in 1995, 1997, and 1998. The Bantams received an at-large invitation to the 2018 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, after reaching the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship Semifinals, and had a bye in the NCAA Tournament First Round. Trinity has now qualified for the NCAA Tournament 15 times, owning a 30-12 all-time record in the tourney and reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals in 13 of those years including the last eight in a row. The Bantams won their first league crown in 2011 and entered the NCAA Tournament undefeated, before losing in the quarterfinal round. In 2012, Trinity recovered from a 7-6 loss to Amherst in its regular-season finale to win the NESCAC and NCAA Championships with eight consecutive wins including an 8-7 win over Salisbury in the finals. Trinity raced to a 21-0 record in 2013 before suffering its lone loss of the year, 12-5, in the NCAA Finals to Salisbury. In 2014, Trinity outscored three early NCAA opponents, 48-17, and shocked undefeated and top-ranked Cortland State, 8-7, in the semifinals before falling to Salisbury, 9-6, in the championship game. Two years ago, Trinity lost its season opener, 11-10, at Colby, rattled off 21 consecutive victories to reach a fourth NCAA Finals in a row, but lost, 17-6, against Cortland State in the championship game. Last spring, Trinity received a first-round bye, downed Ithaca, 11-8, in the second round, and defeated Mary Washington, College of New Jersey, and Franklin and Marshall by a combined score of 30-13 before succumbing to Middlebury in the NCAA Finals, 9-5, in Chester, Pa. The Bantams downed Babson (16-5), Franklin and Marshall (13-12), and York (10-5), but lost to Gettysburg in the NCAA Semifinals, 8-4, last year.
Trinity, ranked No. 3 in the New England Region and No. 11 nationally, raced out to a 12-0 lead against Springfield on its way to a lopsided victory in the NCAA Second Round. Bantam senior attacker Abby McInerney (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) notched a game-high four goals and two assists, while senior tri-captain midfielder Allie Barrett (Concord, Mass.) and senior attacker Grace O'Donnell (Yarmouth, Maine) added four points on three goals and one assist and two goals and two assists, respectively. First-year attacker Sophie Berger (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) finished with a hat trick, and senior attacker Kiley Coffey (West Newbury, Mass.) had two goals and one assist. Trinity junior defender Jen Durocher (Longmeadow, Mass.) paced Trinity with four ground balls, while first-year midfielder Marcella Flibotte (Cohasset, Mass.) had three caused turnovers, O'Donnell added three ground balls and two caused turnovers, Barrett recorded three draw controls and two caused turnovers, and McInerney won three draw controls. In the Trinity goal, senior tri-captain Zoe Ferguson (Ridgewood, N.J.) was flawless in 35:30 with four saves and no goals allowed, while classmate Caroline Cranley (Summit, N.J.) added one stop in 24:30.
Coffey is Trinity's leading scorer with 65 goals and four assists for 69 points, while Barrett has contributed 49 points on 36 goals and 13 assists and leads Trinity in draw controls with 46. Berger is Trinity's third-leading scorer with 25 goals and a team-high 15 assists for 40 points, while O'Donnell and senior Jennifer Cook (Manhasset, N.Y.) add 27 goals and 11 assists and 15 goals and 14 assists, respectively. Senior Georgia Mergner (West Caldwell, N.J. and junior Mary French (Gloucester, Mass.) have been consistent two-way midfielders throughout the season, while McInerney has given the Bantams a boost since coming back from an injury with 11 goals, six assists and 29 draw controls in 10 games. Trinity senior tri-captain and 2017 All-American Clara Nowlan (Needham, Mass) anchors the stingy Trinity defense with a team-high 38 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. Sophomore defenders Sarah Montalbano (Huntington, N.Y.) and Morgan Strabley (Summit, N.J.) are both two-year starters and have combined for 51 ground balls and 43 caused turnovers. Durocher and sophomore Lauren Taylor (Madison, N.J.) have also been solid on the Bantam back line. Ferguson has 172 stops with a .536 save percentage (17th in nation) and owns an 8.53 GAA. A 2018 All-American, Ferguson repeated on the All-NESCAC First Team this spring. Coffey and Ferguson were named to the All-NESCAC First Team and Barrett graced the All-NESCAC Second Team.
Rhodes, coached by Meghan Keelan (2nd Season), is making its fourth appearance overall and in a row in the NCAA Tournament, having won its second round game at home against Transylvania, 23-9, on Sunday after receiving a first-round bye. Kendall Cunningham is a lethal finisher for the Lynx with 95 goals and 15 assists, while Maggie Rippeto adds 57 goals and 40 assists, and Ashley Doyle boasts 51 goals and 20 assists. Erin Gleason leads Rhodes on the draw with 46 draw controls, while goalie Lauren Lazure has 106 saves for a .463 save percentage and a 10.07 GAA. Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Trinity and the Lynx. Rhodes finished ranked No. 1 in the Mid-South Region. Denison is 17-2 and ranked No. 2 in the Mid-South, while Salisbury is 19-1 and ranked No. 1 in the Mid-Atlantic and No. 2 in the nation. The Big Red defeated Calvin, 21-4, in their second round NCAA game and the Sea Gulls won, 19-11, against Meredith. Trinity has never faced Denison but is 1-4 all-time against Salisbury with the win coming in the 2012 NCAA Finals.
NCAA Bracket
