Photo: Dave Saffran
Box Score
Smithfield, RI – Five goals by senior attack
Heidi Colford, along with a hat trick by junior attack
Anna Belle Reilly and two goals by Northeast Conference (NEC) Midfielder of the Year
Lauren Ednie, paved the way for a fifth straight championship game appearance for the #2-seeded Wagner women's lacrosse team, as the Seahawks earned a 13-9 win over #3 Robert Morris on Thursday afternoon.
On Saturday, Wagner will face top seed Bryant at 1:00 pm with an NEC title on the line, as the Seahawks and Bulldogs renew their title game rivalry for the fifth consecutive year.
Apart from the All-NEC selections Colford, Reilly, and Ednie, newly-crowned NEC Rookie of the Year
Ally Alliegro and fellow freshman midfielder
Erin Kerstetter, also recorded goals on the afternoon for the Seahawks.
Colford added one assist on the day to finish with six points, while Ednie's team-high three assists gave her five points.
Defensively, First-Team All-NEC selection
Maddie Courtney and Ednie caused three turnovers apiece, with Courtney and sophomore defender
Lindsay Haas coming up with three ground ball pickups each. In goal, senior
Lucy Darlington earned the complete game win after recording 11 saves.
Following a quick goal by the Colonials, the Seahawks answered with three straight goals, as Alliegro and two scores by Colford, made it 3-1 with 20:44 to play in the first half.
Robert Morris fought back with a 3-0 run of its own to take a 4-3 lead, before Reilly tied the game at four apiece with her first goal of the day.
With 10:32 to play in the first half, the Colonials' Madison Griffin found the back of the net for what would prove to be Robert Morris' last lead of the game, as the Seahawks took control by going on a 3-1 run in taking a 7-6 lead into the halftime locker room.
In the second period, the Green and White further extended its lead, netting four of the game's five next goals, highlighted by an acrobatic effort by Reilly off a feed from Colford to give Wagner a 10-7 lead with 14:30 to play.
The Colonials pulled within three with 12:06 left, but the Seahawks smartly controlled the pace of the game and added to their lead on goals by Colford and Ednie to come away with the 13-9 victory.
Overall, Wagner held a 25-20 advantage in shots on the afternoon.
The Seahawks will now face the top-seeded Bulldogs, who earned a narrow 9-8 victory over Mount St. Mary's in the first game of the afternoon.
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on NECFrontRow.
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