Middlebury Wins Fifth-Consecutive Women's Lacrosse Title

Courtesy Middlebury Athletic Communications

Box Score

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury won its fifth straight NESCAC Championship with a 10-2 win over Amherst. The Panthers receive an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Championship, the team’s 12th straight bid to the tournament. Amherst is expected to get an at-large bid when the pairings are announced Sunday night.

The Middlebury defense was amazing all day, holding the Jeffs to just 15 shots at the Middlebury net, including a 49:39 scoreless span. Johanna Rosenfield was solid in net Middlebury, making 10 saves on the afternoon, while her counterpart, Liv D’Dambrosio made some impressive saves for Amherst, ending the day with 15.

Middlebury took a 2-0 lead early with a pair of goals in 31 seconds. Schuyler Winstead found Claire Edelen cutting to the goal for the first tally, while Alison Perencevich scored with a high shot to make it 2-0. Caitie Parker answered for Amherst with a free position goal at 23:48, before Liza Humes gave Middlebury a 3-1 lead. Alyssa Briody cut the lead to a goal at 19:39, but that would be the Jeffs final goal of the day as the Middlebury defense held tight. Middlebury added four more goals in the first half to take a 7-2 lead into the intermission.

Neither team would score through the first 20 minutes of the second half, until Middlebury’s Channing Weymouth made it an 8-2 game with 9:04 remaining. Claire Edelen and Alison Perencevich, who led Middlebury with three goals apiece, added goals in the last 5:24 to make it a 10-2 final. Winstead ended the game with four assists.

2005 NESCAC WOMEN’S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Sunday, May 1 at Higher Seeds
at No. 2 Bowdoin 13, No. 7 Wesleyan 6
at No. 3 Amherst 15, No. 6 Tufts 5
No. 5 Williams 8, at No. 4 Colby 6

Semifinals - Saturday, May 7 at Middlebury
at No. 1 Middlebury 19, No. 5 Williams 5
No. 3 Amherst 13, vs. No. 2 Bowdoin 12 - OT

Championship - Sunday, May 8 at Middlebury
at No. 1 Middlebury 10, No. 3 Amherst 2