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 Championship Headquarters

2015 Northeast Conference Championship Game
Sunday, May 2, 1:00 p.m.
No. 2 Seed Wagner Seahawks at No.1 Seed Bryant Bulldogs

Game will be streamed live on necfrontrow.com.

Pictured Above: Senior Jessica Mills (photo by Rich Formica)

Championship Sunday will have a familiar ring to it as defending champion and top-seeded Bryant will take on #2 seed Wagner in a rematch of last year's final. Host Bryant rolled to an 18-10 win over Robert Morris in the first semifinal of the 2015 NEC Women's Lacrosse Tournament, sparked by a six-goal effort from NEC Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Descalzo.  Wagner was dominant in its semi, ousting Mount St. Mary's, 15-6, via a balanced scoring effort that saw three different players record hat tricks.
 
Smithfield, RI – Senior midfielder Jessica Mills (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township) recorded a game-high six points on three goals and three assists, while junior midfielder Gretchen Fay (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) and sophomore attack Olivia Streilein (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) contributed hat tricks as well in leading the Wagner women's lacrosse team to a dominant 15-6 win over Mount St. Mary's in a 2015 Northeast Conference (NEC) semifinal game tonight.
 
With the win, the No. 2-seeded Seahawks, who improve to 9-9, will meet top-seed Bryant (13-4) in the NEC title game for the second straight year on Sunday, May 3 at 1:00 p.m. The Bulldogs, who defeated Wagner by a 14-6 count in the 2014 championship contest, advanced to this year's final with an 18-10 victory over No. 4-seed Robert Morris this afternoon.
 
Mount St. Mary's, seeded third, ended its year with a 6-11 record. Erin Seipp (Towson, MD/Notre Dame Prep) led the Mount with a goal and an assist.
 
Wagner got on the board first when Streilein took a pass from NEC Midfielder of the Year Shea Gegan (Belmar, NJ/Manasquan) and scored on a no-look shot a little less than five minutes into the contest. Mount tied things up on a Megan Gluck free position shot at the 22:18 mark.
 
The two teams traded goals in quick fashion as freshman midfielder Lauren Ednie (Verona, NJ/Verona) scored first, followed by a Molly Morris for the Mount just 44 seconds later.
 
Wagner took over at this point, rattling off five straight goals.
 
Fay put the Seahawks up 3-2 with 19:44 on the first half clock, and less than two minutes later, Mills made it 4-2.
 
The Seahawks scored their third straight as junior attack Taylor Pastore (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) found fellow junior Kimmy Tumolo (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview) for a goal. When Tumolo scored again 28 seconds later, Wagner held a 6-2 advantage with 13:20 remaining in the first period.
 
Wagner upped the lead to 7-2 after Streilein found the net for the second time following a Mount foul. After a 12-plus minute scoring lull, Mills netted her second goal of the game with 4.8 seconds remaining to give Wagner an 8-2 edge at intermission.
 
Wagner carried the momentum into the second half as Mills recorded a hat trick on a goal just 1:29 into the final stanza. The Mount finally ended Wagner's seven goal run on an Erin Seipp (Towson, MD/Notre Dame Prep) FPS with 24:45 to play.
 
It took Wagner just over a minute to return the favor as Mills found a cutting Fay.  The two then hooked up again 36 seconds later as Fay made it 11-3 Seahawks with her third goal of the game at the 23:57 mark. Mount freshman Marley Heller delivered a rocket blast into the net to cut Wagner's lead to 11-4 with 20 minutes left in the contest.
 
Wagner would not be denied as senior defender Megan Sardella (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) knifed through the Mount defense for a tremendous solo effort that gave the Seahawks an eight-goal cushion with 16:49 to play and then junior attack Tori McGrath (Albany, NY/Bethlehem Central) added her first of the game. A minute later, Streilein tallied her third goal as Wagner extended its lead to double digits.
 
Wagner kept the pressure on as sophomore attack Nicole Luzzi (Branford, CT/Branford) scored at the 10-minute mark to make it 15-4 in favor of the Seahawks.
 
NEC Rookie of the Year Nicole Lantuh got on the board with 6:44 to play for the Mount and Sammie Knapp (Cub Hill, MD/Loch Raven) rounded out the scoring three minutes later.
 
Wagner outshot the Mount, 35-20.
 
Junior Katie Ferraro (Owings Mills, MD/McDonogh) and senior Shannon Sweeney (Madison, NJ/Madison) each turned away four shots for Wagner. First team All-NEC goalkeeper Steph Rurkowski stopped nine shots for the Mountaineers.
 
Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagnerWlax for information specific to the Seahawk women's lacrosse team.