Catamounts Catapult into America East Tournament
from press release
BURLINGTON, Vt. - Freshman Samantha
Stern (Cherry Hills, N.J.) led Vermont with four goals on
"Senior Day" as the Catamounts defeated Stony Brook, 19-11, at
Moulton Winder Field. With the win and a 15-10 UMBC loss to Boston
University, UVM advances to the America East Women's Lacrosse
Championship for the second straight year.
Vermont closed out the regular season with a 9-7 overall record,
its first winning record since 1994 (7-4). The Catamounts also tied
the school record for most wins in a season in the program's
history. Both the 1984 and 1993 UVM teams posted nine-win
campaigns.
Both UVM and UMBC finished the America East slate with a 3-3 mark,
but the Catamounts defeated the Retrievers, 11-6 in Burlington on
March 28 and that victory gives Vermont the nod into the America
East Tournament.
Vermont's senior class, which has posted 27 wins in their career,
the second most ever by a four-year class in the program's history,
did not let Stern steal the spotlight. Seniors Kristen
Millar (Whitby, Ontario) and Sarah
DeStefano (Eliot, Maine) combined for 10 points with a hat
trick and two assists each. On defense, classmates Jessa
Merrill (Kennebunk, Maine) and Annie
Strout (North Andover, Mass.) combined for three ground
balls and two caused turnovers.
Millar, who became the NCAA's all-time leader in draw controls in
Division I women's lacrosse history on Tuesday, recorded a
career-high 12 draws against the Seawolves. It's the fourth
straight year she's posted 12 draw controls in a game.
The Catamounts scored the first five goals of the game, including
a pair by DeStefano, and held a 6-1 lead after a goal by
Sara Buxton (Northfield, Ill.) with 15:01 showing
on the clock in the first half. Following a Stony Brook timeout,
the Seawolves went on to out score UVM 5-1 over a five minute
stretch to climb back within one, 7-6, with 9:31 remaining.
Vermont scored three of the next four goals to close the half and
took a 10-7 lead into the break.
Jenna Celano scored the first goal of the half to bring the
Seawolves back within two, 10-8, but UVM rattled off five straight,
including two by Millar, to shove ahead 15-8 with 23:09 left in the
contest.
Neither team was able to score over the next 11 minutes, but the
Seawolves tallied three goals over a six minute span to make the
score 16-11 with 6:45 remaining. Vermont closed out the game with
the final three goals to secure the win.
Celano finished the game with a team-high four goals for the
Seawolves. Jillan Weinstein and Samantha Djaha added hat tricks.
Mickey Cahill was credited with nine stops in the Stony Brook
net.
Eight different Catamounts scored and Olivia
Hatfield (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Laura
Barber (Middlebury, Vt.) combined for seven saves in the
Vermont net.
Vermont will be making its second straight appearance in the
America East Women's Lacrosse Championship. The Catamounts have
earned the No. 4 seed and will take Boston University, the No. 1
seed and No. 12 team in the country, in Boston at Nickerson Field
at 1 p.m. on Thursday (April 30). The Catamounts dropped a 12-9
decision to the Terriers at Moulton Winder Field on April 11. No. 3
New Hampshire will take on No. 2 Albany in the other half of the
tournament bracket at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Boston U.
GAME NOTES: Freshman Allison
Pfohl (Niskayuna, N.Y.) scored twice against the Seawolves
to set a new single-season record for most goals by a rookie,
breaking the mark of 29 set by sophomore Megan
MacDonald (Wayland, Mass.) last year. Millar's two assists
against SBU gives her 100 for her career. She is the first player
in school history to score 100 goals and record 100 assists.
Vermont improves to 15-0 when it scores 19 or more goals in a game.
This is the third time this season UVM posted 19 goals. After
dropping four straight to the Seawolves in the all-time series, UVM
has won back-to-back decisions and the 19 goals were the most
scored against SBU in the all-time series.
