Trinity vs. Middlebury

We knew that this game was going to be a tough battle just given the recent history between the Bantams and the Panthers of Middlebury. Last season, the Bantams went up to Middlebury and won during the regular season but then couldn't find a way to beat them the next two times they faced them later in the season - for the NESCAC title and for the National Championship title. Last weekend, the Bantams fought hard through a full 60 minutes plus 4 overtime periods against the Middlebury Panthers. It was one of the most evenly matched games of lacrosse I have ever seen. Unfortunately, the Bantams fell 10-9, however, not at all for a lack of effort or opportunity. The game could have gone either way and the match-up was so even, we are very proud of our team for the effort and fight that they put up against the Panthers. I am sure that we will see them again, so the Bantams came out on Monday at practice focused and ready to get back at it. 

Junior attacker Kiley Coffey came out and scored the first goal of the game just 1:22 into the game. There was never more than a 2 goal lead throughout the duration of the game, so there was no letting up at any point because it was such a tight battle. Kiley Coffey had a huge day for the Bantams, not only scoring the first goal of the game and setting the tone, but she added 4 other goals for a total of 5, 1 ground ball, 1 draw control, and 1 caused turnover. Senior attacker Clare Lyne also made an impact gaining possession of the ball off the draw 6 times, picking up 1 ground ball, causing 1 turnover, and adding a goal and an assist on the day. Junior attacker Grace O'Donnell also had a goal and an assist of her own as well to help the Bantams. Junior attacker Abby McInerney had a goal and picked up 2 ground balls and caused 1 turnover during the game. Our attackers have been a huge threat on our ride as they hunt down the other team to get the ball back after a turnover or a save in our attacking end. Their hustle to track down the Panthers in the midfield was critical to our success in the game on Saturday. 

Defensively, junior defender Clara Nowlan was a beast and was not letting any of the Middlebury attackers beat her. She caused 2 turnovers and picked up 3 ground balls in our defensive end. She has also been a major contributor in our transition and working to get the ball from our defensive end up to our attacking end. Junior goalie Zoë Ferguson was a brick wall in between the pipes, saving 9 of the 19 shots she faced. She kept the Panthers scoreless on their 4 free position shots that they had on her and came up with some HUGE saves in the overtime periods as well! It was a great game and a total team effort. Although we didn't come out on top that day, the Bants should be holding their heads high because it was a good battle and there are lots of good things to take away from the game and lots to learn to make us better. There is still lots more lacrosse to play in our season.

Next Up: Hamilton @ home on Saturday April 22nd at 12pm for our senior day. 

GO BANTS!!!

Trinity vs. Wesleyan

 In their Coaches vs. Cancer game against Wesleyan University, the Bantams raised close to $3,000 to donate for cancer research as well as beating the Cardinals 11-8 in a great team effort. The Bantams scored first off a free position shot by junior midfielder Georgia Mergner and held the lead for the rest of the game. It was a very tight game that was back and forth the whole time, but the Bantams never let up against the unrelentless Cardinal team. The Cardinals had the edge over the Bantams 11-10 in draw controls won, but the Trinity defense was very strong and caused 7 turnovers to help get the ball back for our attack. Senior midfielder Nicole Stauffer had 2 caused turnovers and junior defender Clara Nowlan picked up 3 ground balls and had 1 caused turnover. Junior goalie Zoë Ferguson also had a great night in the cage - saving 10 of the 18 shots she faced. On the other side of the ball, the Bantams shot 100% on their free-position shots! This was a great stat for us and something that the Bants have been working on every day in practice, so it was nice to see it translate into a game! We had 6 free positions and were able to get in and get a good shot off to score on all 6 of them, which was huge to be able to capitalize on those opportunities, especially in such a close game where they really matter and make a huge difference. 

Senior attacker Clare Lyne had 3 goals on the night as well as 2 draw controls. Fellow attacker, junior Abby McInerney had 1 goal and picked up 4 draw controls. Those two have been key players on the circle for us and have been able to come up with majority of the draws. Junior attacker Grace O'Donnell is another player who has been so consistently solid for us every game and is producing and doing all the little things well. She had 2 goals and an assist on the night. The attack is really gelling well together and working well off each other, which is fun to watch! Junior midfielder Georgia Mergner had a really standout game and sparked a lot of momentum for the Bantams. She had 2 fantastic goals that were huge. She started off the scoring on a free position shot after she drew shooting space. Then she had a great cut through the middle and scored off a pass from teammate Grace O'Donnell. It was great to see her step up in such a big way in such a big game for us. This team has been working so hard and we're excited to see where it will take them.

GO BANTS!!

Freshman attacker Tina Cartwright looking to shoot during warm ups

Freshman middie Emma Fehnel firing off a shot during warm ups

Some initials on the back of a shirt to honor those loved ones who have battle or are battling cancer

Game time!

Freshman defender Sarah Montalbano fighting for a ground ball

Senior midfielder Karly Simpson

Junior attacker Grace O'Donnell

Junior attacker Abby McInerney getting some air as she goes up for the draw control

Junior attacker Grace O'Donnell

All smiles and thumbs up after a big win!

Trinity vs. Connecticut College

Traveling down the road to New London, CT, the Bantams took on the Camels on hump day and drove away with a 12-9 win. It was a bit of a chillier night, playing on their field right down by the water. The Bantams took off to a strong lead, holding the Camels to just 2 goals in the first half, while scoring 8 of their own. Junior attacker Kiley Coffey had a big night, scoring 2 of her 3 goals in the first half, and also grabbing 7 draw controls. Kiley has been great taking the draw for us this year, aiding in our success on the season since coming up with the draw controls are so pivotal. The past couple of games junior midfielder Allie Barrett has been flying off the first whistle and making huge impacts in the first half of the game helping us to gain momentum early. She scored all 3 of her goals in the first half and also picked up 2 ground balls and caused 2 turnovers throughout the game. 

The second half started off with a goal from senior attacker Clare Lyne, one of 3 on the night for Lyne. She also dished out 2 assists and came up with 2 draw controls. The Bantams then found themselves in a little bit of a lull and allowed the camels to come back into the game a little bit. The Trinity defense let up 5 unanswered goals to end the game, however, they were able to stop them there and come up with a 12-9 victory. Mid-week games can always be a bit tough with their class schedules and having to travel, but luckily the Bantams came out strong enough in the first half to be able to keep that lead until the end.

The Bantams will now begin to prepare for a big week coming up with Wesleyan University on Tuesday April 11 at 6pm and Middlebury College on Saturday April 15 at 12pm. Both games are home, so come out to Robin L. Sheppard field for either game! Or follow live stats and video online at the following website: https://www.nsnsports.net/colleges/trinity/

GO BANTS!!!

Trinity vs. Bowdoin

The weather this season has proved to be a challenge for game day. During the week for practices it has not been an issue, but once game day comes, Mother Nature has been having fun throwing a curveball at us. We were supposed to play on Saturday up in Brunswick, ME, but they were expecting to get about 8 inches of snow from a snow storm. So, we bumped the game back a day to play on Sunday, hoping that at that point the field could be plowed and we would be good to go! That also meant that we had to cancel our clinic we were planning to have on Sunday and move it to a later date, but it was all good because we went up to Maine and came back with a win! Junior Grace O'Donnell's parents were also so nice and had the team to their beautiful home for dinner the night before we played. A delicious home cooked meal and a relaxed, fun time filled with lots of laughter was exactly what the girls needed the night before such a big game.

Bowdoin was just coming off of a big win against Middlebury the weekend before, so it was a full week of focused practice to prepare to take on the Polar Bears. The Bantams came into the game so fired up and rearing to go - they led 5-1 at the half. Junior midfielder Allie Barrett played a big role in getting the momentum on our side right away, as she scored 3 of her 4 goals in the first half, also picking up 2 ground balls on the day. It was great to see her have such a big day when we needed everyone to play to their potential! Senior attacker Clare Lyne also had 4 goals on the day, as well as 3 assists and 3 draw controls. Junior attacker Abby McInerney was a key player on the circle for us as she grabbed 4 draw controls, also scoring a goal and dishing out an assist. Junior goalkeeper Zoë Ferguson was an absolute brick wall in net, having 15 saves on 22 shots for the day! Incredible!

The second half proved to be a true mental test for the Bantams. The middle of the second half was a bit of a dip in focus and performance, so we dug ourselves in a bit of a hole, letting them score 4 goals in a row to come within 2 of us. Luckily, we put an end to that streak and came back together to play strong to finish out the game. It was really good to be tested like that and be able to make the right adjustments and come out with a win. It was a beautiful day to play lacrosse - the sun was finally shining, in what has felt like forever, but the Bantams worked really hard to earn that win against Bowdoin. We were really happy with all the girls today!

Up next: Connecticut College on Wednesday at 7pm then a bye weekend, which will be nice for the girls to rest up a little bit after such a jam packed start to the season!

GO BANTS!!!!

Senior defender Kathryn DeLillio playing defense

Freshman defender Sarah Montalbano hitting someone in the midfield during transition

Junior midfielder Allie Barrett attacking to goal

Junior attacker Abby McInerney calling a play on attack

Trinity vs. Wheaton

Big weekend for the Bantams! They had a double-header, facing Tufts on Saturday and Wheaton on Sunday. They survived and went 2-0 on the weekend, which is a great feeling! All 30 girls also got into the game, which is always what we are hoping to be able to do. Everyone has been working really hard in practices so it was great to see them go against another another opponent and do so well! 

Senior Clare Lyne played a big role in getting the offense going. She score 4 goals, had an assist, and also grabbed 3 draw controls. Junior Allie Barrett was a force in defensive end and in transition, causing 4 turnovers, picking up 3 ground balls and 2 draw controls and also scoring a goal. Sophomore Mary French was following Allie's lead as she caused 2 turnovers, picked up a ground ball and a draw control and scored 2 goals herself. Freshman defender Lauren Taylor came into the game and caused a turnover and also picked up a ground ball. She had a great game and really stepped up for us in the defensive end! Junior goalkeeper Caroline Cranley also had a great day in net with a save off three shots and getting credited with a caused turnover for an interception that she had on a feed! All in all it was a great weekend and so nice to see the Bantams hard work paying off and them coming together and doing such nice things on the field. Let's keep it rolling!!

Junior attacker Kiley Coffey taking the draw

Juniors Kiley Coffey and Abby McInerney going up for the draw

Freshman defender Morgan Strabley

Junior attacker Abby McInerney going up for the draw!

Sophomore midfielder Mary French defending in transition

Junior midfielder Allie Barrett carrying the ball upfield

Freshman defender Lauren Taylor taking the ball all the way into the attacking end after causing a turnover in our defensive end

Trinity vs. Tufts

What a great day to be a Bant!!! With a big game against the Tufts University Jumbos, the Bantams brought their best effort and came out on top 14-11. It was a tight game all through the first half and the Jumbos held a 1 goal lead going into halftime. Coming out fired up, the Bantams got back on the board just 15 seconds into the second half with a goal by senior attacker Clare Lyne, assisted by junior attacker Abby McInerney. They then went on to outscore the Jumbos 7-3 in the second half. Our attack worked so well together today - they were moving the ball quickly to spin the Tufts defenders around and finding each other in the middle of the 8meter. Our attack was led by junior Grace O'Donnell (3 G, 2A, 1GB), sophomore Mary French (3G, 2GB, 1DC), junior Abby McInerney (2 G, 2 A, 5 DC), and senior Clare Lyne (2G, 3A, 2 DC). It was fun to watch our attackers jelling together so well on such a big day!

One of the keys to our success this day was our ability to come up with the draw. It is always essential to grab the ball off the draw control so we can get it into our attacking end. We got 16 of the 27 draw controls on the day, picked up 13 ground balls, and caused 10 turnovers. Zoë Ferguson saved 7 of the 18 shots she faced. 

Tufts was one of the teams the Bantams lost to last year, so it was great to get that redemption and beat them this time around this year!

The Bantams didn't have time to celebrate or think about how tired they were after this game, as they faced Wheaton the very next day.

Junior Zoë Ferguson ready for the free position shot

Junior Caroline Cranley celebrating a goal with Bill, our strength and conditioning coach

High fives all around!

Senior midfielder Karly Simpson

Here they come! Game time!

All smiles before the game

Trinity vs. Stevens

The Bantams took a trip to New Jersey - the home state of several of our players for a midweek game against Stevens Institute of Technology - located right in the middle of Hoboken, NJ across the water from NYC. It was a pretty cool spot with a view of the skyline, but pretty tricky for the bus to get through the narrow side streets up to the school. 

It was a very chilly day for a game, but luckily Mr. Barrett, junior midfielder Allie Barrett's dad, brought lots of handwarmers for the girls right before the game. It was a very back and forth game with both defenses having to play a lot of long sets to keep the ball out of their net. At half time, the Bantams held a 2 goal edge over the Ducks and were able to keep the lead through the end of the game. Winning 10 of the 13 draw controls really helped the Bantams gain possession of the ball and create some attacking opportunities. They were also able to pick up 17 ground balls. Sophomore attacker Brooke Swan came into the game in the second half and played a huge role in helping the Bantams come up with key ground balls to keep possession as the minutes ticked away. She came up with 3 critical ground balls in the last few minutes to help secure the game. Junior attacker Abby McInerney also had a huge day, scoring 3 goals and getting 4 draw controls. While the game was closer than we would have liked, it was good for the Bantams to have to fight through and really take care of the ball when it mattered the most.

Freshman Tina Cartwright during warm ups

Senior Katherine Foca during warmups

The hero of the day! Mr. Barrett with the handwarmers!!

Some of our parents trying to stay warm during the game

Junior Georgia Mergner on defense

Junior Allie Barrett

Bantams all layered up with their puffs on the sidelines trying to stay warm!

Spring Break - Nashville!

The Bantams traveled to Nashville, TN for their week of spring break this year. Unfortunately, it was unusually cold for Nashville while we were there, but it didn't stop the Bantams from having a great time. We got to go to the strip for dinner two of the nights and they had a blast both times. On Sunday night, everyone ended up at Rippy's Ribs and there was a live band performing who put on a great show for us! Senior Emma Malicki even got to go up on stage with one of the singers and take away the show. The rest of the Bants were right in front of the stage singing and dancing along and having a great time! Oh, and the food was amazing too. 

The next night, the Bantams went to the Wildhorse Saloon and got line dancing lessons. It was a blast to have the girls get their minds off lacrosse and have fun being in Nashville. There was a huge number of parents who were able to make it to Nashville, which was amazing as well!  We always appreciate all of the support that they show us!

Sophomore Emily Carothers and her mother at Wildhorse Saloon

Some of the freshmen! From left to right: Cat MacLennan, Caroline Toomey, Lauren Taylor, and Ashley Turnbull

Sophomore Brooke Swan and her mother

Juniors Jenny Cook, Georgia Mergner, and Allie Barrett

GLAX flag goes everywhere!

Seniors Emma Malicki and Clare Lyne with Junior Grace O'Donnell

Trio of sophomores! Brooke Swan, Jen Durocher, and Emily Carothers

Freshmen Morgan Strabley and Emma Fehnel with sophomore Lilly Gregory

The team on the pedestrian bridge in downtown Nashville

The strip in downtown Nashville - very cool spot!

Guest appearance by senior Emma Malicki!!