BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University women's lacrosse team dropped their fifth straight CCC Tournament Final appearance, 17-9, to the Gulls of Endicott on Saturday, falling in their attempt tom complete the fourth straight season as CCC Champions.
Endicott had a 35-25 lead in shot attempts, with both squads recording eight saves. The Hawks had 16 turnovers to the Gulls 14, while Endicott led 29-22 in ground balls, with Roger Williams leading 17-12 in draws.
Jaira Paine led the contest with seven points off five goals and a pair of assists, while Kiana Napolitano had six goals in the matchup. Maggie Holt grabbed five draw controls, with Clare Wendell having a pair of caused turnovers and four ground balls.
For the Hawks,
Julia Kelley (Foxborough, Mass.) had five points with a pair of goals and three assists, while
Kimmy Creegan (Ramsey, N.J.) had three goals with seven draw controls, six ground balls and three caused turnovers.
The Hawks struck first, scoring 34 seconds into the matchup with
Emma Terino (East Meadow, N.Y.) finding the back of the net off a pass from Kelley. Paine and Napolitano then responded, sparking a three-goal stretch, including a pair from Paine for a 3-1 lead. Creegan and
Mia Pantano (Reading, Mass.) then scored back-to-back goals to level the score at 3-3.
Endicott rattled off six straight including one in the second quarter, taking a commanding 9-3 lead. A pair of goals by Creegan, followed by a goal by
Karli Chapin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) cut the deficit down to three but Leah Black had a goal with 5:41 remaining in the half to retake a four-goal lead. Kelley struck again before Napolitano potted one, taking an 11-7 lead into the half.
Endicott scored three straight goals to open the third quarter, before Kelley and
Allie Shamberger (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) struck to cut the lead down to five. Endicott saw Napolitano strike twice to end the third, and Emerson Clark to end the fourth quarter to seal the contest for Endicott.
Roger Williams (10-8, 7-0 CCC) sits as the No. 6 team in the Regional Rankings, and will await their fate as the NCAA Tournament Bracket is released on Monday.
