The Lady Cards took down Colby College’s Mules 12-7 this past Saturday at Wesleyan in a continuance of round-robin NESCAC play, before losing to Trinity on Wednesday. The Cards, fighting for their first-ever home game in the upcoming NESCAC playoffs, had endured a seven-game losing streak to Colby over the past 12 years. Furthermore, the Cards needed a NESCAC win to even out their recent loss to Williams. Coming out of the gates with intensity, the Cards scored the first two goals of the game with Courtney Tetrault ’07 and Lauren Ogden ’07 netting a goal a piece. Colby battled back however, scoring three to take the lead. The teams then traded two quick goals within a minute and a half to put Colby up 4-3 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Colby did not keep its lead for long, however, thanks to speedy standout Sophia Kim ’08. A scant 19 seconds after Colby took the lead, Kim sent a shot past the Colby goalkeeper to even the score at four. A minute later, Kim struck again, and incredibly, just two and a half minutes later, Kim picked up a four-minute hat trick, scoring again to give the Cards a two-goal lead. Charlotte Hastings scored another before the end of the period, and when all was said and done, Wes had reeled off six unanswered goals and went on to beat Colby 12-7. Kim led the team with four goals and an assist, Tetrault tallied four points on the strength of two goals and two assists, and Erin McCarthy ’10 also picked up a hat trick.
The Cards then traveled to Trinity on Wednesday in the latest chapter of an ongoing NESCAC in-state rivalry. At stake for the Cards was a chance to clinch a home playoff game in the NESCAC tournament, as one more NESCAC win would seal the deal.
“The NESCAC has some of the top D-III teams in the country. Anyone can win on any given day in the league.” said co-captain Amanda Belichick ’07.
The Cards, ranked third in the NESCAC coming into the game, hoped to put down the Bantams to clinch a home game to start off the NESCAC playoffs. Though the Cards matched up well with the Bantams out of the gate, playing Trinity to a 3-3 tie in the first half, the Bantams began to pull away in the second before a last offensive burst. McCarthy added two goals to put the final score at 10-8, Trinity. Though certainly a setback in their quest for NESCAC glory, the loss is not the end of the road for the Cards. With games remaining at home against Middlebury this Saturday and away against Bates, the Cards can still secure a home game with the playoffs starting on April 29.
The women’s lacrosse team is in the midst of what could be a historically significant season. The Cards have the chance to secure their first ever home playoff game, as well as tying or breaking the team’s record of nine wins in a season. Furthermore, the team has thus far ended a 23-game losing streak to Bowdoin as well as the seven-game losing streak to Colby, and in the process has established itself as one of the top programs in the league.
“I think that we have made steps this year that have been really exciting for the team and the program,” Belichick said.
The team has used its unparalleled depth to accomplish this climb to the top of the NESCAC ladder: 12 different players have scored for the Cards this season, and as one team member puts it, “the ‘star’ changes for every game.” Thanks to depth across the field, a strong defense, and good leadership, the Cards have put themselves in a position to accomplish more than any other Wesleyan women’s lacrosse team before them.
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