Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/6/17
From Press Release
The Lehigh women’s lacrosse team held a 7-5 lead midway through the second half, but Navy scored four of the game’s final four goals to hand the Mountain Hawks a heartbreaking 9-8 loss in the Patriot League Semifinals on Friday evening. With the loss, Lehigh ends its season with a 12-6 record while Navy improves to 14-4. Senior goalkeeper Taylor Tvedt was sensational all game, making a career-high 16 saves in her final collegiate game.
“I thought our team played a really tough game,” said Lehigh head coach Jill Redfern. “I certainly can’t fault their effort. They were relentless up until that last ball when we got the turnover with 19 seconds remaining. We just couldn’t find the back of the net in those last couple possessions.”
Senior Julianne D’Orazio (Merion Mercy), sophomore Kellie Gough and freshman Sondra Dickey (Conestoga) led the offense with two goals apiece. Senior Allison LaBeau finished with a goal and assist to tie the Patriot League Tournament record for points (13) and assists (7) in a single tournament.
Navy (14-4), coached by legendary Cindy Timchal (Haverford High), will play top-seeded Loyola in the finals Sunday at noon at Loyola. Loyola was led by Sabrina Tobasso (Harriton), who broke a tourney record with 18 draw controls and added four groundballs; and Katrina Geiger (Haverford High), who had two goals, two assists, two groundballs, one draw controls and a caused turnover.
Navy scored the game’s first two goals, the Mountain Hawks responded with three straight, from sophomore Courtney Henig, Dickey and D’Orazio, to give Lehigh a 3-2 lead with 8:42 remaining in the first half. The Midshipmen evened the score, but goals from Gough and Dickey gave Lehigh a 5-3 lead after 30 minutes of play.
The teams traded goals to begin the second half as Navy pulled within one, but Lehigh had multiple answers. A goal from LaBeau gave the Mountain Hawks a 7-5 advantage with 17:32 remaining in the second half.
Two Navy goals in the span of 2:10 evened the score at seven with 11:12 remaining, D’Orazio helped Lehigh regain the 9-8 advantage, but the Mids scored with 4:34 and 3:21 on the clock to give them a 9-8 lead.
Lehigh had several chances in the final minutes to pull even. After a turnover in the final minute, the Mountain Hawks caused a turnover and had another chance in the final seconds, but D’Orazio’s shot went wide and Navy held onto the 9-8 win.
Final shots were 36-17 in favor of Navy while the Midshipmen held a 12-7 edge in draw controls and 19-11 advantage in groundballs. Tvedt’s 16 saves shattered her previous career high of 13. Navy’s Ingrid Boyum made one.
“Taylor was a difference maker and kept us in the game,” said Redfern. “She just had save after save. It was a terrific last performance for a senior.”
The Mountain Hawks finish their season 12-6 as they have posted a 25-11 mark over the last two seasons. The 25 wins are tied for the third most wins over a two-year stretch in school history.