Box Score
Salisbury, MD… A fast start by the home team proved too much for The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team to overcome as the Lions saw their NCAA Tournament run come to a close falling 12-7 at Salisbury University on Sunday.
The second-ranked Sea Gulls scored the game's first five goals and then kept TCNJ's offense in check the rest of the way limiting the sixth-ranked Lions to a seven goals, their second lowest output of the season.
TCNJ finished the season with a 16-4 record with this year's team being one the most prolific scoring squad in the program's rich history. The Lions racked up 310 goals, set a program mark for assists (145) in a season and just missed the record for points in a season with 455. The school record of 459 points was set in 1995. TCNJ cracked the 20-goal plateau on five occasions this spring and scored 19 goals on three others.
Salisbury (19-1), which also led at the half in the earlier meeting this season and allowed TCNJ to rally for the win, protected that lead this time around getting two quick scores in the new frame bumping the difference to 9-2.
Sophomore Leigh Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) the notched back-to-back goals as the Lions crept to within 9-4 with 20:44 remaining in the game, but the Sea Gulls didn't allow TCNJ to get any closer until the final minutes.
The Lions made one final push in the closing minutes as sophomore Kathleen Notos (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) ripped off three straight markers closing the gap to 12-7.
In the first half, Robin Deehan (Morris Plains, NJ/Academy of St. Elizabeth) and Sara Keating (Upper Montclair, NJ/Montclair) registered goals for the Lions.
Mitchell finished with two goals and three assists as she capped her banner year with 56 goals and 50 assists for 106 points. That point total in the third best in program history and her 50 assists is a school record. She also tied a NCAA Tournament record with 14 assists in the team's three games for most assists in the tournament as she became the third player to reach that figure.
Junior Ali Jaeger (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon) was kept off the score sheet by the Sea Gulls, but enjoyed a very successful season setting a school record for goals in a season (84) and her 111 points ranks second best in program history.
Notos finished with three goals as she notched her first 50-goal season with the Lions finishing the year with 51.
Junior Mary Waller (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) collected five saves in goal for the Lions.
