WATERVILLE, Maine – Colby College's Ally Franz scored five goals and the Mules outlasted the Hamilton College Continentals 13-11 in a 2024 NESCAC Women's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinal at Colby's Bill Alfond Field on Saturday, April 27. 
 
Season Update

• Hamilton (7-8 overall) received votes in this week's ILWomen/Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III Top 25 poll. The Continentals tied for fourth place in the conference standings with a 5-5 record and were the fifth seed for the championship. 
• The 10^th-ranked Mules (11-5), who are the fourth seed for the championships, will face Middlebury College in a NESCAC semifinal on Saturday, May 4 at noon.  

How It Happened

• Julia Jardina scored Colby's first two goals and the Mules led the entire way. 
• Maddigan Leifer '26 put the Continentals on the board with 8:20 left in the opening quarter. 
• The Mules scored the next four goals and carried a 6-1 cushion with 12:46 left in the second quarter.
• The Continentals sliced its deficit in half on two goals less than three minutes apart. Alana King '24 found the back of the net off a pass from Marin Ciardiello '26 with 12:25 on the clock, and Ciardiello passed out another helper – this time to Alex Orlando '25 with 10:23 left in the first half. 
• Trailing 8-3, the Continentals took advantage of a free-position attempt and Kristin Vosswinkel '27 converted on a feed from Sydney Klepper '26 for an 8-4 score at the break. 
• Colby scored the first goal of the third quarter and held a 12-7 advantage heading into the final quarter.   
• Hamilton's offense went to work with Julia Lee '27 igniting the run on a goal 1:47 into the fourth quarter. 
• Meghan Lane '24 forced a turnover, scooped up a ground ball and had a successful clear to set the Continentals up for another scoring opportunity. Leifer cut Colby's cushion to 12-9 on a free-position goal with 11:03 remaining. 
• Neither team had scored for more than seven minutes who Colby's Ainsley Dion broke the streak with 3:52 to go. 
• Hamilton had its final push with another goal by Leifer after a free-position shot with 1:41 on the clock. 
• The Continentals battled for the next possession, Abby Smith '24 pursued a ground ball and Orlando netted a goal just seven seconds later to trail by two at 13-11 with 1:34 left.
• Hamilton nearly knocked again but the Mules forced its 11th turnover and held on for the final margin. 

Notes

• Colby posted a 12-2 win at Hamilton back on March 23. 
• The Continentals caused 21 turnovers and held a 29-28 edge in shots.
• Leifer led the Continentals with a career-high four goals. She added three ground balls and one caused turnover. 
• Orlando contributed three points on two goals and an assist. 
• Lee chipped in two goals. She guided the Continentals with 28 goals in her rookie season.  
• Smith filled the stat sheet with her 26th career goal, an assist and a team-best three draw controls. 
• King scored her 46th career goal. 
• Vosswinkel netted her sixth goal of the season. 
• Ciardiello handed out a career-best two assists.
• Klepper passed out her third helper of the season. 
• Lane finished with three ground balls and two caused turnovers. She finished the season first in the NESCAC with 68 ground balls and 42 caused turnovers.  
• Casey Fiore '24 stopped six shots as she played all 60 minutes in goal. 
• Franz led all players with six points on five goals and a helper. 
• Jardina registered three goals, three ground balls and a team-best eight draw controls. 
• Cami McDonald recorded two goals and a pair of ground balls. 
• Dion scored one goal and had five draw controls.
• Kat Munter added seven draw controls for Colby. 
• Gennie Littlejohn contributed one goal, while Julia Maimonis added an assist. 
• Kins Helmer locked in two points with a goal and an assist. 
• Sarah Hearns made 10 stops in goal for the Mules.