LEXINGTON, Va. (April 29, 2023) – In its final game of the regular season, the Denison University women's lacrosse team traveled to take on No. 2 nationally-ranked Washington and Lee University on Saturday, but in the end, the Big Red came up short by a final score of 14-4 against the Generals. It was the first-ever matchup between Denison Head Coach
Amanda Daniels and former Denison Associate Head Coach/new Washington and Lee Head Coach Maddie Coleman.
Washington and Lee outscored Denison 5-0 in the first quarter and led 9-0 before
Merrill Rollhaus got the Big Red on the board with a goal on a free position shot in the final minute and a half of the second quarter.
It was then 12-1 late in the third quarter before
Anna DeVuono scored on a free position shot in the final five seconds of the period.
That started a 3-0 Denison run that continued with a goal by
Mary Martinson assisted by
Bridget Sheehy and then another goal by Rollhaus on a free position shot to make it 12-4 with eight and a half minute remaining. It was Rollhaus' third multi-goal game of the season.
Denison finished only two draw controls (11-9) and one free position shot (7-6) behind Washington and Lee, was 17-for-19 on clears and outshot the Generals 7-4 in the fourth quarter.
Mary Daniel led the Big Red with five of their nine draw controls while
Annie Rau led the way with three groundballs.
In goal,
Caroline O'Dea finished with more saves (13) than goals allowed (12).
Denison falls to 7-10 overall while Washington and Lee improves to 16-1. In addition, by virtue of No. 21 Kenyon College's 20-4 win at DePauw University on Saturday to clinch sole possession of the NCAC regular-season championship, the Big Red finish the regular-season as the NCAC runners-up.
Next up, second-seeded Denison will host the NCAC Tournament Semifinals at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3. Their opponent will be third-seeded Ohio Wesleyan University (11-5, 4-2), which Denison defeated by a final score of 14-5 on the road last Sunday (Apr. 23) to clinch second place in the conference standings.
