With a tournament birth already in hand, the Cardinals headed into Waterville to face Colby. Despite the Mules’ record standing under .500, Colby surprised the Cards, emerging with a 12-11 overtime win. The next day, Wes headed back to Williamstown for the first round of the NESCAC tournament, hoping to avenge their to Williams two weeks earlier. Although the Cards played much better this time, they fell in a close match by a score of 10-9, finishing the season with a 9-6 record (4-5 NESCAC).
On the Colby pitch Saturday, the Cardinals launched an early attack on the Mules’ goalie, when Martina McPherson ’04 scored less than one minute into the game. Becca Vogel ’05 extended her season and career scoring record when she found the net for the first time. Colby struck back quickly, beating goalie Muriel Darzen ’04 twice, to knot the game at two with 22:27 remaining. Vogel scored the next two Cardinals’ goals, matched by a pair of kick-ins by the Mules. After Colby got the ball past Darzen with 8:12 to go, Laura Siegle ’06 evened the score after less then twenty ticks of the clock had passed.
Vogel scored her fourth goal for the Birds to tie her with Margaret Metz ’99 for most goals in a season, and to take back the lead. Colby scored one more time with seventeen seconds to go, and the two teams entered the half deadlocked at six.
Wes lit the lamp early in the second, as Becky Meredith ’06 found daylight behind the Colby keeper. After the Mules reeled off two goals, Wes ran off a streak of its own. Vogel, McPherson, and Lauren Ogden ’07 all tallied to take a two-goal lead with 18:20 remaining. The Mules then beat Kate Jones ’0—ho came in at goalie in the secon—wice to tie the score at ten. Meredith tallied her second goal on a free position shot to take the lead back, but Colby scored to tie the game at eleven. The game ended with an eleven all tie, and Colby scored with just 24 seconds remaining in the first overtime for the win.
“The overtime was tough because Colby was triple teaming Becca and Becky and we were unable to capitalize on that,” Darzen said. “Their high pressure defense was difficult to break through.”
The Cards headed north to face Williams on the road Sunday to kick off the NESCAC tournament. The game was a rematch of an April 4 contest, a 14-9 Williams win. The Cards came out strong, as Siegle scored to start off a back and forth scoring match. McPherson netted two goals for the Cards before Vogel and Vanessa Jones ’05 scored late in the first to give the team a 5-4 lead at the half.
The second half did not start well for the Birds. Williams opened with three straight goals to give the Ephs a 7-5 edge. Vogel cut the lead to one, but the Purple Cows reeled off another set of three consecutive scores past Darzen, which put the score at 10-6 with 7:55 remaining.
“We had a little breakdown on defense and it cost us the game,” said Darzen. “That’s the problem with the NESCAC: the teams are so tough and so competitive. If you let down for even one second, they are down your throat.”
The Red and Black attack picked up after the final Ephs’ goal. First McPherson found the net followed by a goal by Bernadette Doykos ’04 less than a minute later. Vogel netted her 46th and final goal of the year with two seconds left, but it was not enough and the game ended with the Cards falling 10-9.
Despite the close loss to end the season, the Cardinals have plenty of which to be proud. They are the winningest squad in team history. The team’s offense totaled 170 goals, boasting five players with ten or more, including Vogel, McPherson (24), and Meredith (28) scoring at least twenty. Siegle and Doykos added fourteen and fifteen respectively.
“We were disappointed to end the season early, but excited to be in the NESCAC tournament again,” said head coach Holly Wheeler. “It is a great experience and this year’s tournament proved Wesleyan lacrosse is amongst the top teams.”
Several key players from this year’s outstanding squad return next year, including Vogel, already the all-time leading scorer, Meredith, Alex Pfeiffer ’06, Katherine Needham ’05, Vanessa Jones, Kate Jones, Cortney Tetrault ’07, and Siegle.
“I am looking forward to next season as this year’s class of 2004 created an excellent foundation upon which to build,” Wheeler said.
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