<rleton’s women’s lacrosse squad ended their season Thursday, April 14 in a disappointing home loss to their cross-town rival St. Olaf, 12-6.
The Knights came out strong in the second half but were unable to recover the deficit that had been built up in the first 30 minutes, despite the motivating presence of Stevie P. in the stands.
Prior to this game, the team’s only home loss, the Knights had picked up two invigorating wins against Macalester, 15-8, and Hamline, 13-3. The scoring in both of these games was paced by the sharpshooting attack line of captains Ali Melton ’11, who throughout the season averaged more than three points per game, as well as Katie Derrah ’11 and Anni Abadian-Heifetz ’12, who both chipped in an average of two points each game.
The midfield was led by the aggressive defense and ground ball control of stalwarts Nicki Johnson ’12 and captain Becca Litwin ’12. The defensive end was held down by the experienced Steph Brogdon ’11 and Zoe Statman-Weil ’11, as well as Elaine Downie ’13. Carleton’s four-year starting goalie, captain Caitlin Dole ’11, posted impressive numbers throughout the season, earning the second highest save percentage in the division.
Despite Carleton’s 2-1 home record, the three losses the team suffered back in February ended up eliminating the team from playoff contention before many teams in the league had even started playing games. This unfortunate fate was largely due to the organization of the North Central Women’s Lacrosse League (NCWLL), which places teams into different divisions based on how long they have been competing in Minnesota, putting Carleton into the same division as perennial league championship contenders like the University of Minnesota, a school with 15 times as many students as Carleton.
The construction of the league, with Carleton in a division where many teams have more than twice as many players, has perennially meant that the only game that could get Carleton into the playoffs was against the University of Iowa. This game took place in Rochester on February 12, the first time the 2011 squad had played on a surface other than the Recreation Center, and ended in a heartbreaking 9-8 loss to the Hawkeyes despite Melton’s five-goal performance.
Although the seniors on the squad were disappointed that their season would end a few days early, the awful weather conditions that turned up during playoff weekend, April 16-17, lessened the team’s feelings of disappointment.
Next year will be a rebuilding year for Carleton’s lady laxers, as they will lose six seniors and three captains, one of whom is the only goalie the team has used since 2007. The impressive rookie performances this season of Hilary Marshall ’14 and Mary Reagan Harvey ’14, however, inspire hope that the 2012 squad will be able to avenge this season’s early loss to Iowa.
Two-year captain Litwin reflected on the season.
“The senior captains led this team through their commitment to the game and their consistency of play,” said Litwin. “Our season would not have been what it was without them. They will be greatly missed next season.”
Ali Melton is a member of the Women’s lacrosse team.