Hartford, CT… Putting forth a complete effort from start to finish, The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team was rewarded with an 11-9 win over Colby College as the Lions marched into the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals.
 
The win was the sixth straight for 10^th-ranked TCNJ as they moved to 15-4 on the year, while the seventh-ranked Mules saw their season come to an end at 13-5.
 
The Lions face their biggest test of the season in the quarters as they take on top-ranked and undefeated Trinity College. The Bantams are 19-0 following their 19-2 win over Augustana (IL) College. They are also the defending national champions.  That game is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow (May 12) in Hartford.
 
TCNJ used a key four goal run in the second half to put some distance between them and Colby and that spurt proved pivotal as the Mules finished the game with three straight goals making the final margin two.
 
Sophomore Kendal Borup (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) started that run with a goal with 24:01 left in the half with junior Jen Garavente (Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.), and senior Jillian Nealon (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central), sophomore Lauren Karpovich (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) also scored making it an 11-6 lead. Karpovich's goal came with 14:46 remaining.
 
Colby finished strong, but TCNJ's defense held its ground, in part to a 13-save performance by junior Kelsey Zinck (Bristow, VA/James W. Robinson) between the pipes. As a unit, the Lions held the Mules to single digits in goals for only the third time this season.
 
The Lions never trailed in the opening half as Nealon started the scoring 4:34 into the game. That lead went to 2-0 just over nine minutes later when Borup scored unassisted.
 
Colby used a pair of goals 1:10 to match the Lions and tie the game, but TCNJ countered with three straight goals. Borup got the first of those with an assist from Nealon, while Garavente cashed in on a free-position shot pushing the lead back to two goals. Borup then returned the favor to Nealon as the she deposited her second goal of the game with 3:46 left before the half.
 
That goal forced the Mules to take a time out and Colby responded with the last two goals of the period, making it a 5-4 TCNJ lead at the break.
 
The scoring pace picked up immediately in the second half with the teams combing for three goals in the first three minutes. Freshman Cortney Natalicchio (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) scored 21 seconds into the new frame for the Lions and 50 seconds later Colby answered when Tess Petesch tallied for the Mules. Borup needed only 49 seconds go get that goal back as TCNJ led 7-5 with an even three minutes coming off of the clock.
 
After Colby made it 7-6, the Lions went on that run setting up the victory.
 
Borup paced TCNJ's attack with four goals and an assist, while Nealon was a factor all over the field with three goals, one assist, and seven draw controls. Garavente tacked on two goals raising her season total to 60.