Every season for the past three years, the Wesleyan women’s lacrosse team has fallen in the third round of the NCAA Division III (DIII) tournament. The 2025 Red and Black squad entered this season determined to end that streak and push deeper into the postseason.
Captain and attacker Sam DeLeo ’25 and her teammates even have a mantra—chase the challenge—that encapsulates this season’s mindset.
“[That means] embracing the hard and going through every day setting that standard,” DeLeo said. “Obviously there’s a lot of expectations on this team, but it’s more about how we come in every day and stay present and work towards that championship season that we want.”
Before pursuing postseason glory outright, the Cardinals had to apply their chase the challenge mentality to the regular season. On Saturday, March 1, the no. 8 Cards matched up against no. 7 Colby. By the second quarter, the Cards were up 4–1, thanks in part to midfielder Dylan Green ’26, who put away two goals. However, the Cards’ momentum stalled, and at halftime, the game was tied 5–5. Eventually, the Mules prevailed, sinking a goal in the fourth quarter that sealed the Cardinals’ 8–9 fate.
Green, who had a career-high four goals on the night, noted that the loss didn’t fully reflect the Cardinals’ capabilities.
“We had some players out,” Green said. “[And] coming back, [the] first game is always different. I think we were super annoyed that we lost, but [we were] also just using it as motivation for the rest of the season. It’s not the worst thing.”
The Cardinals went on to post two decisive victories against no. 20 Stevens Institute of Technology (13–4) and St. Lawrence University (16–2). Then, on Friday, March 14, the Red and Black faced their second NESCAC opponent: unranked Williams. Wesleyan outscored the Ephs 6–0 in the first half, pouring in three more goals after the break to seal the deal at 9–5.
Captain and midfielder Kiara Tangney ’25, who missed the Cards’ first four games with an injury, had a statement return game, racking up three points on two goals and one assist.
“Being out there just felt awesome,” Tangney said. “Scoring those goals—we were up 6–0 in the first half—was just such a great way to come out strong and firing. And Williams is always a statement win because of the Little Three.”
After taking care of Williams, the Red and Black headed down to Florida for some Spring Break action. There they continued their tear, beating Endicott College 14–5. The Cards followed up with a win against Stevenson University (13–5), scoring their first four goals in four minutes and showcasing an energy and efficiency that they would need as they re-entered NESCAC play.
After dispatching Bates 19–6—Wesleyan’s highest-scoring game of the season—the Red and Black turned their attention to no. 1 ranked Middlebury. The Cards and the Panthers went neck and neck for most of their highly anticipated Saturday, March 29 matchup, which included seven lead changes. In the end, Wesleyan fell 9–10 after Middlebury forced a turnover on the Cards’ game-tying goal attempt.
Green said that despite her team’s valiant effort, the loss was hard to stomach.
“I think a lot of teams would be happy with that and be like, ‘We stuck with them,’” Green said. “But we’re honestly not. We’re never going to be happy if we’re not winning.”
With a game against Amherst right around the corner, there was no time to dwell on the loss. The Cards, now ranked no. 6 with a 6–3 overall record, faced off against the no. 12 Mammoths on Wednesday, April 2. The game was a nailbiter from the beginning, eventually careening into triple overtime. Despite 10 saves from goalkeeper Izzy Weintraub ’26, who recorded her second game of the season with 10 or more saves, the Cardinals met their match. They fell 8–9 to the Mammoths after 18 minutes of overtime.
The Red and Black swallowed one more NESCAC defeat the following Saturday, losing 4–15 to no. 2 Tufts—although a 12-save performance from Weintraub, alongside Tangney’s first hat trick of the season, softened the loss’s sting.
A NESCAC conference stacked with top-10 competitors was always going to be a tough battle, and Weintraub said she and her teammates pushed through the mid-season losses by focusing on what they could control.
“[We] block[ed] out that outside noise,” Weintraub said. “It’s just another name on a jersey that we are more than well prepared to play against.”
The Tufts loss would be the Cards’ last of the regular season. After stomping Massachusetts Institute of Technology 15–5 on April 6, the Red and Black hung with no. 15 Trinity until the bitter end, ultimately netting a 12–11 victory over the Bantams with the help of Tangney’s three goals and two assists.
Tangney also recorded her third straight game with a hat trick. She credited her teammates with fueling her impressive stats.
“They make me look good in more ways than I can even describe,” she said. “Everything we do is a team effort.”
On Saturday, April 12, the Cards poured in another NESCAC win over Hamilton (12–9). A few days later, DeLeo sank a career-high four goals on Senior Day to help her team beat Bowdoin 18–11. On Wednesday night, in the last game of the regular season, the Red and Black took on Conn. College. By the third quarter, the Cards were beating the Camels by 10 goals, which switched the game over to a running clock. From there, Wesleyan easily cruised to a 16–3 victory.
For DeLeo and her teammates, the win was exciting because every available Cardinals player got a chance on the field. Maddie Chang ’28 and Sarah Polumbo ’27 both scored the first goals of their career.
“Especially for the seniors, it was amazing because we got to see the underclassmen all play well,” DeLeo said. “No one skipped a beat when they stepped on the field. It was confidence from everyone, which I think is great.”
Now, with the regular season in the rearview mirror, the Red and Black are looking ahead to the playoffs. Their road to the DIII tournament starts this Saturday, with a rematch in the NESCAC quarterfinals against no. 4 seeded Amherst. Wesleyan is seeded at no. 5.
Tangney said she and her teammates have confidence in their ability to turn the tables on the Mammoths.
“Beating them on their home turf is gonna feel greater than anything,” Tangney said.
Audrey Nelson can be reached at aanelson@wesleyan.edu.
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