Hartford, CT… The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team saw its quest to advance into the national semifinals thwarted by top-ranked Trinity College as the Bantams never trailed as they topped the Lions for the second time this season on Sunday. Trinity won the NCAA Division III quarterfinal match-up 10-5 on its home field in Hartford, CT.  
 
Trinity (20-1) moves into the semifinals against Franklin and Marshall College next weekend in Philadelphia with the winner of that game moving on to play for the 2015 National Championship.
 
TCNJ finished the season a lofty 18-4 with the Bantams accounting for two of those setbacks. The first came just over a month ago in Lions Stadium.
 
The teams were pretty event throughout the game with the Lions holding a 21-19 advantage in shots, while the hosts held a 9-8 edge in draw controls. TCNJ also protected the ball as they committed just eight turnovers, while forcing the Bantams into 10.
 
The Lions started strong as they carried play for the first seven minutes. The Bantams did get a goal 2:23 into the game from Clare Lyne, but TCNJ was spent most of that time firing shots at Trinity's cage. The Lions took the next five shots on goal right after that initial score, but Trinity goalie Zoe Ferguson made three saves, including two on free-position shots. First she denied junior Cortney Natalicchio (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) and less than a minute stopped freshman Amanda Muller (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) from the eight-meter line.
 
On the last of those saves, the hosts gained control and then increased the difference to 2-0 a minute later after a successful clear.
 
Late in the period with Trinity holding a 3-0 lead, the Lions thought they had got on the scoreboard when senior Ava Fitzgerald (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) put the ball in the net on a free-position shot, but it was ruled that she moved before the whistle turning the ball over the Bantams.
 
Trinity took advantage scoring 46 seconds later for a 4-0 lead at the break.
 
TCNJ came right out in the second half and looked to cut into the deficit when freshman Elizabeth Morrison (Stonington, CT/Stonington) won the draw and seconds later senior Kendal Borup (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) put a shot off of the post.
 
Just like the opening half, the Bantams countered quickly and scored 1:25 into the period as Lyne's goal made it 5-0.
 
Natalicchio got the goal right back for the Lions, just 45 seconds later to get TCNJ on the board.
 
The Lions produced another quick goal to cut the margin to 5-2 as sophomore Mia Blackman (Arlington, VA/Field School) picked up her 26^th goal of the season. That goal came just over a minute after Natalicchio had scored.
 
After winning the ensuing draw, the Lions nearly scored again on a good shot by Fitzgerald, only to see new Bantam goalie  Emily Mooney make the save.
 
The teams traded goals again, with senior Erin Healy (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) getting the latter of the two to once again pull the Lions to within three goals at 6-3.
 
Trinity then scored four straight, but TCNJ kept coming. Fitzgerald made it 10-4 with 7:23 left in the game and only 19 seconds later junior Megan Devlin (Marmora, NJ/Ocean City) tallied. That goal reeled the difference back to five goals.
 
The Bantams, however, then ran off the remaining time of the clock to keep the final margin at 10-5.
 
Sophomore goalie Kelly Schlupp (Holland, PA/Council Rock South) finished with four saves.
 
The loss was the final game for six very talented seniors that have been a part of 68 victories, four New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. That group includes Borup, Fitzgerald, Healy, Lauren Karpovich (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee), Sam Iacouzzi (Spring Lake, NJ/St. Rose) and Soraya Selamie (South Brunswick, NJ/Rutgers Prep).