Women's Lacrosse falls in TCCC Finals

BRISTOL, R.I.- Competing in The Commonwealth Coast Conference Finals at Endicott College for the second-straight season, the title hopes of the RWU Women's Lacrosse team ended Saturday afternoon with a 12-4 loss to the host Gulls.

Both teams remained scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the game before Endicott's Rebecca Bushnell (Guilford, Conn.) scored her first of two goals at 19:32 to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The advantage would be short-lived, however, as the Hawks fired back with consecutive goals by Kasey Beckwith (Franklin, Conn.) and Kate Malenczak (Sayville, N.Y.) to take a 2-1 advantage. Both of the strikes, which came just 2:56 apart, were assisted by sophomore Claire Halliday (Trenton, N.J.).

Endicott's Sara Gunter (Kennebunk, Maine) knotted the game at 2-all as she weaved her way through a pack of Hawk defenders, eventually burying a bounce-shot with 9:12 left in the opening half. Valerie Feldman then gave the Gulls a one-goal advantage at the break as she pulled-up off the left side and uncorked a laser into the upper-corner, sending Endicott into halftime with a 3-2 lead.

The Endiott offense took control right out of the break with Bushnell scoring 57 seconds in. After another Gull marker at 24:24, Endicott needed just 16 seconds to tally again for the 6-2 lead.

Back-to-back goals by Alex Pearce (Underhill, Vt.) extended the Gulls' second-half scoring streak to five before RWU senior Jackie Criss (Westwood, Mass.) snapped the streak at 12:01. One minute later Malenczak scored her second on the day, but it would be the last for the Hawks.

Endicott finished the game's scoring with four-straight goals, including the final three by freshman Morgan DeShaw (Danville, N.H.).

Hawks goalkeeper Amanda Magee (Columbus, N.J.) helped to keep the game close, making 12 saves in 60 minutes. The Gulls outshot RWU 32-16 by game's end. Endicott's Molly Hamel (North Yarmouth, Maine) registered five saves in the win.

With the win Endicott secures its fourth-straight conference title and now awaits word from the NCAA as to who its first round oponent will be in next week's Division III National Tournament. RWU looks for a potential ECAC bid with a current record of 15-3.

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