CLINTON, N.Y. – Hamilton College's
Julia Lee '27 scored a career-high five goals including the game-winner with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter and the Continentals edged the Connecticut College Camels 10-9 in a NESCAC game played at Hamilton's breezy and chilly Steuben Field on Saturday, April 20.
Season Update
- The Continentals (7-6, 5-5 NESCAC) are receiving votes in the ILWomen/Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III Top 25 poll. Hamilton is in fifth place in the conference standings and will wait to find out who it will play in the NESCAC championship quarterfinals on Saturday, April 27 as the other 10 teams have at least one more game remaining.
- Conn. College (7-7, 2-7) lost its third straight conference game.
How It Happened
- The Continentals had a woman-up situation with 1:54 remaining when one of the Camels was sent off for one minute with a green card. Sarah Stonestreet '25 was awarded a free-position attempt on the left side but she passed out of it to Lee who was charging in from the left wing. Lee powered through two defenders to the center of the fan and scored from about 12 feet out.
- Conn. College won the ensuing draw control but Maddigan Leifer '26 knocked the ball loose a few seconds later and Lee scooped it up. After a Hamilton timeout, a yellow card was issued to the Camels with 26.6 seconds to go, and Leifer was able to run out the rest of the time.
- Neither team led by more than two goals as there were eight ties and two lead changes.
- The Continentals led 2-1 after one quarter and 6-5 at the half.
- Conn. College took their last lead at 5-4 with 4:00 left in the second quarter when Kate Coughlin scored.
- Hamilton tallied the next three goals beginning with Lee's unassisted score with 2:55 remaining in the second. Stonestreet scored on a free-position shot with 58.8 seconds to go in the half, and Avery Trach '27 found the back of the net on another free-position shot for a 7-5 advantage 2:18 into the third quarter.
- The Camels drew even with 3:21 left in the third but Leifer put the Continentals back in front 8-7 with 1:51 remaining. Leifer took a pass to the left of the fan and immediately cut to the center where she scored on a leaping shot as she faded to her right from about 20 feet away.
- Lee gave Hamilton a 9-8 edge with 11:40 to go – sandwiched between two goals by Conn. College's Campbell Johnston. Lee received a pass about 20 yards from the goal, drove past two defenders at the top of the fan, and scored on a shot from just outside the crease.
Notes
- Lee leads the team with 26 goals and is tied for 13th in the NESCAC in goals per game.
- Stonestreet ended up with two goals and has 15 this season. She has scored a goal in seven straight games.
- Leifer notched her 17th goal, collected two ground balls and caused two turnovers.
- Trach scored her eighth goal and Marin Ciardiello '26 added her third.
- Aine Cleary '25 was credited with her team-high eighth assist and registered two ground balls and two draw controls.
- Meghan Lane '24 led all players with six draws and picked up three ground balls. Lane leads the NESCAC in ground balls per game and is fourth in draw controls per game.
- Chloe Chiota '24 and Bailey Lillis '24 contributed three ground balls and two caused turnovers apiece.
- Eliza Schwarz '27, who started in goal, Kaitlin Reed '24 and Casey Fiore '24 combined to make four saves.
- Johnston paced the Camels' offense with three goals. Aine Downey had four ground balls, Eliza Ritter caused three turnovers and Hannah Merritt won five draws. Violette Nidds stopped seven shots.
- The Continentals have won the last 14 meetings with Conn. College.
- Hamilton honored Olivia Chiota '24, Chloe Chiota, Abby Smith '24, Alana King '24, Lane, Julia Fornasar '24, Reed, Lindsay Kuser '24, Lillis and Fiore after the game with a senior recognition ceremony.
Next Game
The Continentals play their regular season finale at home against Ithaca College (13-1 overall) on Wednesday, April 24 at Withiam Field at 6 p.m.
