Shorewomen secure home playoff game with wins over Swarthmore, McDaniel

By Dominic Rapposelli

Elm Staff Writer

The Washington College women’s lacrosse team is back to the postseason for a record setting eleventh straight season. The team picked up a pair of wins in the final week of the season to punch their ticket to the postseason with a final record of 9-7, 5-4 in Centennial conference play.

The Shorewomen finished regular season play and averaged 11 goals per game. A mainstay of the high-powered offense this season has been junior Ellie Bossi. Bossi has been a plug-and-play midfielder all season, coming in for substitutions and injuries throughout the season. Bossi attributes her style of play to the entire team working on being game ready at all times.

“One thing that the entire team has worked really hard on for this season is our fitness,” Bossi said. Fitness and conditioning are aspects of the game a smaller team like that of the Shorewomen can use to knock off teams who possess deep benches and an ensemble of fresh legs.

Coming off a loss at Dickinson, Bossi calls the game a learning experience for the team. “Dickinson was a learning lesson for us, but we have worked harder this past week than ever,” Bossi said, “nothing is going to stop us from doing our best.”

The Shorewomen rebounded with a thrilling come from behind win over the Swarthmore Garnet 7-6. Sealing the night was a game winning goal from sophomore Tobin Chambers. A late pass from junior Morgan Sutherland leading to a goal by Chambers’ first career game winning goal.

After being down on the scoreboard 6-3 midway through the third period, the Shorewomen started playing lights-out, scoring four unanswered goals over the last quarter and change. “We knew we had to step on the gas and score some goals to secure a win. We kept hyping each other up over little accomplishments in order to get back in the game,” Chambers said.

After the win over Swarthmore, the Shorewomen hosted the McDaniel Green Terror in the regular season finale and senior day game. The two seniors, Sydney Wingate and Ellie Morrall, were honored before the game. Morrall finished the season fourth in the conference in goals (51), fifth in points (66), and led the conference in shots (128). Wingate finished fourth in the conference in save percentage (43.4), and fifth in saves (106).

The Shorewomen honored their seniors well with an 18-7 victory over the Green Terror. Morrall found the back of the net, a team leading six times in the contest. Morrall also set her career record in single game goals. Additionally, Wingate snagged 10 saves in the victory.

With the Win over McDaniel, the Shorewomen are hosting a playoff contest once again. The stakes rise for a Shorewoman team who are no strangers to postseason play. “We are all extremely excited that we are able to play at home and still continue with our season,” Chambers said.

With the Shorewomen taking on the best that the Conference has to offer, Wingate stresses the team’s need to stay on top of the little things. “The other teams in the conference are working towards the same [goals] as us so we really need to take care of the little things,”

Wingate also cites the home contest as a goal reached for the team, as well as the team’s seniors. “With Ellie and I’s senior year ending, we are really trying to soak it in and enjoy what we have left. Making it to the playoffs, hosting a home game, and essentially getting another chance to play is what we have been focused on.”

The Shorewomen will get that chance on Wednesday, May 3, against the Ursinus Bears. This is the first meeting between these teams in postseason action since 2001. Last season, the Shorewomen were able to take care of business in their home playoff win with a 10-6 win over Swarthmore.

The Shorewomen enter the playoffs as the fourth seed behind Gettysburg, Franklin and Marshall, and Haverford. Three conference teams which had the better of the Shorewomen earlier this season. WC women’s lacrosse can start their road towards a Conference title this Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of WC Athletics

Photo Caption: Shorewomen lacrosse’s seniors in their senior day win against McDaniel.

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