Despite a four-game NESCAC losing streak in the wake of its first win over Williams since 1983, the women’s lacrosse team has the inside track to clinch a berth in the NESCAC tournament for the sixth straight year. The team, which currently sits at 6-8 overall and 2-6 in NESCAC play, will clinch a playoff spot with a win Saturday over Bates, a game that will represent a refreshing change from the team’s recent run of conference heavyweights.

Following a thrilling 9-8 home win over Williams and a 15-6 loss to Babson the next day, the Cardinals returned to conference action with a trip up to Colby on April 12. While the Cardinal men were edging the Mules in a 25-goal shootout on Jackson Field, the women came up on the short end of their own 14-12 shootout.

Tied 3-3 with 7:21 to go in the first half, Colby used a 4-0 run—with the last goal coming with 36 seconds left in the half—to take a 7-3 halftime lead. Colby later led 10-5 before the teams traded goals four times to give the Mules a 14-9 lead. The Cardinals scored three times in the final two minutes, but it proved to be too little too late as they came no closer than 14-12 against the then 17th-ranked Mules.

The Cardinals remained in Maine the following day as they traveled to Bowdoin, ranked 12th at the time, for a make-up game. The contest was originally scheduled for March 29, but rampant illness at Bowdoin forced its postponement. Bowdoin jumped out to a 4-0 lead against the depleted Cardinals, but Wesleyan scored five of the next six goals to tie the game with 7:10 left. However, Bowdoin netted the game-winner with 3:05 left and held on for the 6-5 win, its 13th in 14 games against Wesleyan since 1995.

The Cardinals returned home to take on in-state rival Trinity on the 16th. The Bantams, who entered ranked 12th in the nation, scored the first five goals of the game; the teams then traded scores twice to give Trinity a 7-2 lead with 4:41 left in the first half. Wesleyan netted three of the last four goals of the half to cut the halftime deficit to 8-5. The teams again traded goals for a 9-6 Bantam lead with 16:29 left in the game, but Trinity added a pair of goals off free-position shots for an 11-6 win.

Wesleyan then traveled to Middlebury on Saturday. The Panthers entered the game 70-0 in conference play since 2001, when the NESCAC became a playing conference. The Panthers had also scored at least ten goals in each of their NESCAC games in 2008. Wesleyan matched Middlebury goal-for-goal in last year’s meeting, ultimately falling 10-9 on a Middlebury goal with 4:02 left. This year, the Cardinals proved no match for the 7th-ranked Panthers. Elise Kaye ’10 gave Wesleyan a 1-0 lead just 34 seconds in, but Middlebury scored 12 of the next 13 goals for a 12-2 halftime lead. Wesleyan closed to within 14-5 with 17:19 left, but Middlebury scored five of the last six goals for the 19-6 win, its largest over Wesleyan since 2003 (20-5).

The Cardinals jumped back in the win column Tuesday with an 18-7 victory at Wheaton in the makeup of another previously postponed contest. Wesleyan jumped out to an 8-1 lead with 10:24 to go in the first half and traded a pair of goals with the Lyons for a 10-3 halftime lead. The Cardinals added four of the first five goals of the second half and closed by scoring four of the last five after a pair of goals by Wheaton cut it to 13-6 with 18:27 to play.

With the season finale on Saturday against Bates, the Cards will look to secure a spot in the NESCAC playoffs. Wesleyan defeated the Bobcats 10-9 in the team’s meeting last season, and hasn’t lost to Bates since 2001. The Cards will look to continue their recent success against the Bobcats, with the game time scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday.