POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (March 22, 2017) — Tessa Waters capped a six-point performance with a free-position goal with 21 seconds remaining to lift the Vassar College women's lacrosse team (3-2) over Connecticut College (0-4) at Weinberg Field on Wednesday, 13-12.
"It was a great game," coach Judy Finerghty said. "Credit is do to Conn College. They fought back every time we gave them an opportunity, they made us pay for it. Well-fought on both sides I thought. A clean game for the most part. It was a good one."
Waters (4g, 2a) was one of six Brewers to tally at least a point. Storm Sideleau scored four goals, while Julia Trudell added a hat trick. Phoebe Hankins and Amelia Rivoir each netted a goal, while Brittany Botticelli dished out an assist.
Phoebe Hankins won a game-best four draw controls, adding two created turnovers as well. Goalkeeper Kristin Caolo also created two turnovers and picked up a team-high three ground balls.
Caolo earned the win for Vassar with seven saves in the second half, while Megan Mullin took the loss for Conn College with five stops in the final 30 minutes. VC's Emily Chancey made for saves and Conn College's Meghan Raskin made three in the first half.
Tina Balzotti paced the Camels with five goals, while Jamie Navoni added four points on two goals and a pair of assists. Hannah Donegan (2g, 1a) added three points and Julia Loesch had (1g, 1a) added two, while Lacey Hale and Kirby Heffrin both netted one.
The Camels outshot the Brewers 29-26 overall and 23-21 in shots-on-goal, winning the ground ball battle 24-12 and the draw control battle 15-12. However, Vassar took six free-position shots to Conn College's three, which ultimately made the difference down the stretch after 10 ties and four lead changes.
"I thought it was a really fun game," Hankins said. "It went back and forth almost the entire time, which kept everyone really competitive and tuned in."
Sideleau and Trudell netted two of the first three goals of the game before the Camels ripped off a 6-2 run for a 7-4 lead with about seven minutes remaining in the first half. Sideleau broke up the burst with back-to-back goals about midway through the period.
The Brewers ended the half with momentum, as Hankins and Rivoir netted back-to-back goals, before carrying that momentum in the second stanza.
Waters opened the new period with an unassisted score to level the game at 7-all. After Sideleau broke up a pair of Conn College goals, Waters netted two straight to put VC back on top, 10-9.
The sides exchanged goals the rest of the way. Trudell completed the hat trick with a pair of goals before Waters gave the Brewers the lead for good with a free-position goal in the waning seconds, 13-12.
"That was Tessa's second free position in the waning minutes of the game," Finerghty said. "She had one just before that — didn't take enough steps to goal, so we had an opportunity to mention that to her at the time out. This time, she was able to get another step or two in there and found the back of the net."
Vassar continues its homestand, hosting Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (Friday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m.), Union College (Friday, March 31 at 4 p.m.) and William Smith college (Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m.) at Weinberg Field.
"We have another home game on Friday, so we'll be busy preparing for that tomorrow," Finerghty. "It was a great team effort all around. Hats off to Conn College, they gave us a great game."
—VASSAR—
