Denison women's lacrosse saw their season come to an end in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Sunday as the University of Mary Washington defeated the Big Red, 12-8, in Fredericksburg, Va. Denison, who was making the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance, capped off its season with a 13-6 record. No. 16 Mary Washington moves on to face seventh-ranked Trinity (Conn.) in the third round of the tournament on May 21.

The Eagles had all the momentum through the first 32 minutes of play, leading by as many as seven with just over 28 minutes left in regulation. After Mary Washington's Holly Hudson scored on back-to-back shots to open the second half, the Big Red Claire Ludlow converted a free position shot to shrink the deficit to 9-3 with 27:30 on the clock.

Following a save by freshman goalie Hannah Magarian, Denison moved the ball down the field where Lizzy Pellicane found Reid Hirschey for her first goal of the day. Another save by Magarian allowed the Big Red to sprint down the field where quick passing by Halle Walsh and Carol Allen set up a Pellicane for a goal from point blank range. The senior's goal closed the margin to four.

Roughly five minutes later, DU capitalized on a Mary Washington turnover when Allen hit Claudia Rafi who scored with 16:29 left in the period. Leah Israel controlled the ensuing draw and, nine seconds later, found the back of the net to pull the Big Red within two at 9-7.

After seeing their seven-goal advantage whittled down to just two, Hudson and Emily Mott scored back-to-back goals in a 65-second span to rebuild a four-goal lead. Hudson all but locked up the win with a goal at 2:12. Allen scored off an assist from Pellicane with 33 seconds left, setting the final score.

Allen finished with two goals and two assists while Ludlow also scored twice.  Pellicane finished with a goal and two helpers, while Hirschey, Rafi and Israel also got in on the scoring. Emily Marlatt scooped up five ground balls while Jane Goodspeed collected four. Becca Jones and Magarian each finished with four saves in 30 minutes between the pipes.

Hudson finished with five goals on six shots while Mackenzie Maguire recorded two goals and two assists. Sabrina Elliott and Mott also logged two goals. Mary Washington goalie Hannah Ashby eight saves, including five over the final 14 minutes of play.

The Eagles outshot the Big Red 23-19 while also holding a 12-9 advantage in draw controls. Mary Washington held a slight edge in ground balls (19-18). Denison successfully converted all 16 of their clear attempts and scored twice on four free position shots.