WATERVILLE, ME - #2 Thomas College (8-5, 5-1 NAC) will travel to #1 Castleton State College (8-6, 6-0 NAC) for the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Lacrosse Championship on Saturday, May 3 at 7:00 PM.
How they got here:
Thomas concluded the season with a 5-1 conference record, outscoring their conference opponents 95-46 over that span. The Terriers are led by junior Jennifer Day (47 goals, 17 assists, 64 points) and senior Miranda Tinsman (49 goals, 10 assists, 59 points), who are first and second respectively in the NAC with points this season.
Castleton went undefeated in conference play for the third season in a row, and are in search of their third consecutive NAC Championship. The Spartans are led by NAC Player of the Year Kate Auer, who leads the squad with 52 points, 37 goals, along with 15 assists.
The last time they met:
Castleton defeated the Red and Black 15-11 earlier in the season on April 7 at Smith Field in Waterville. Tinsman had a game-high four goals in the losing effort, while the Spartans were led by Kim Gosselin with one goal and four assists for a team-leading five points.
What they have done lately?
Last Tuesday, Thomas defeated sixth seeded Colby-Sawyer 14-6 in the semifinals. The Terriers ended the Chargers Cinderella story, as they took down the #3 New England College in the quarterfinals.
Castleton sailed through the semifinal matchup against the fourth seeded Husson University, 18-2. Auer led the Spartans with seven points (four goals and three assists) in the victory.
Historically speaking:
Dating back to the 2003 season, Castleton owns an 11-0 record against Thomas. Last season the two teams met up in the 2013 NAC Championship (the first postseason tilt between the two conference foes) and the Spartans defeated Thomas 21-12 to win their second crown in a row.
Coaches Corner:
Head Coach Lauren Bickford, now in her fourth season at Thomas, leads the squad to the playoffs for the third time in her tenure. The 2013 NAC Coach of the Year has taken the Terriers to two conference championships since taking over the program in 2010.
Hannah Corkery, the Head Assistant Coach for the Spartans, was an assistant the last two season at Castleton and helped lead the squad to two conference championships.
