Lancers Conclude Season in NCAA First Round versus Messiah
Worcester, MA- After claiming their second straight MASCAC Championship just a week ago, the Worcester Women’s Lacrosse team (14-5, 7-0) was back in the NCAA First Round with a trip to The College of New Jersey to face Messiah College.
Worcester, MA- After claiming their second straight MASCAC Championship just a week ago, the Worcester Women's Lacrosse team (14-5, 7-0) was back in the NCAA First Round with a trip to The College of New Jersey to face Messiah College.
Final
Worcester State: 8
Messiah: 21
How it Happened:
The Falcons would grab a two goal lead five minutes into the game but the Lancer defensive pressure was fierce as Junior Madigan Kelley (Bourne, MA) would attack the arc off a pass from Senior Molly Witkowski (Greenville, NY) to cut down Messiah's lead with nine and half left in the first quarter. The Falcons would sneak in five more before Junior Megan Bowen (Westfield, MA) would come from the top of the crease with a quick release from Witkowski for the second Lancer goal of the quarter.
Worcester would open up the second scoring quick, just a minute in as first year Fallon Lozano (Upton, MA) would whip the shot into the back of the net off a pass from senior Shannon Donahue (Dennis, MA). Donahue would follow it up with a free position shot with just under nine minutes left in the quarter and under a minute later Witkowski would cut the Messiah lead to just two as she rolled the crease and snuck a shot in the gap of the goalie stick. Messiah would go on a five goal run to close out the second for a 13-5 score into the halftime break.
The second half would start with passion and aggression from both sides as each worked to claim the momentum of the quarter. It would take nearly a minute and a half before Messiah would claim the first score in the second half. The Falcons would grab a second before the hustle of the Lancer offense would find reward with senior Mckayla Fisher (Peabody, MA) who claimed a scrum ball and launched a shot over the goalie's head to open their scoring action in the half. The Falcons would go on a late third quarter charge recording three goals but Worcester would end the quarter on the attack, jelling up the threat to the Falcons cage.
Messiah would score first in the fourth but then Fisher and Witkowski would partner up for goal number seven for the Lancers as they continued to keep the pressure on the Falcons. Messiah would slip in two additional before Fisher closed out the action with seconds left with an aggressive attack on the cage for the 21-8 final score.
The Lancers finish their season at 14-6, the most wins in Worcester State Lacrosse history, returning to their second NCAA first round game.