Defending Champs SU Women’s Lax Upset By Hamilton

The Salisbury University women’s lacrosse team was upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Hamilton 8-7 in double overtime. The loss ends the defending national champions season with a 14-4 record.

Hamilton would strike first, scoring just over 5 minutes into the game when Caroline McCarthy spun in the middle of the field to find some daylight and fired one home. Salisbury would then have the answer after Kara O’Rourke would find Kate Haker to tie it. The teams would continue to exchange goals til the Continentals were able to take a 5-3 lead into halftime. SU would then go on a 2-0 run to tie the game up, getting goals from Katelin Talbert and Hannah Young. But just as it seemed that the Gulls had found their rhythm, Hamilton would go on another 2 goal run to go back out in front. Salisbury would then have another run in them to tie it, this time getting scores from Megan Wallenhorst and O’Rourke. Young would then take a pass from Bethany Baer and fire it home to give Salisbury their first lead of the game with under 4 minutes to play. SU would win the ensuing draw, but would turn over the ball with under 2 minutes to play. The Continentals would race up the field, and Morgan Fletcher would score in transition to tie the game up with 1:29 remaining. Both keepers would come up with tremendous saves in the first overtime and they would head to the second. There, Gianna Falcone would continue come up huge for the Gulls, as she finished with 10 saves on the day. In the sudden death format, SU had a chance to win it with a free position shot, but Wallenhorst shot was saved. Hamilton would take over possession and then Darby Philbrick would score the game winning, splitting 3 defenders then going 5-hole on Falcone while falling down.

The loss ends the careers for Hayden Hutzell, Laura Maskell, Baer, Haker, O’Rourke, Shelby Nemecek, Anna Sparr and Alyssa Harmke.