Le Moyne Women's Lacrosse Captures 2018 NCAA Championship - Northeast 10 Athletics

Posted: Apr 07, 2021

The 2018 Le Moyne College women’s lacrosse season was one for the ages. The Dolphins finally broke through for the elusive National Title under the leadership of head coach Kathy Taylor after coming up short in each of the previous six seasons, despite great regular season success. The program’s 2018 NCAA Championship was the first women’s national championship in the College’s history.

The Dolphins opened the season by winning their first 15 games, including victories over 10 ranked opponents. In a matchup on April 25 which aired on ESPN3, the Dolphins fell to top-ranked Adelphi University for their only setback of the season. They bounced back with a win over Saint Michael’s to close out the regular season with a 16-1 record.

Following wins over Saint Anselm and 15th-ranked Pace in the NE10 quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, the Dolphins met Adelphi in the championship game for the fourth straight year and seventh time in eight years in the conference. After two goals by each team over the opening five minutes of the game, the Dolphins rattled off six straight goals and carried a 9-5 lead into halftime. Adelphi closed within two with nine minutes remaining, but Le Moyne scored the last two goals for a 14-10 win and the program’s second NE10 Championship (first came in 2013). Sophomore goalkeeper Hannah George was named the Championship Most Valuable Player after making 12 saves, while sophomore midfielder Nicole Delany, who scored a game-high five goals, and senior defender Kelly Gaffney, who caused a game-high three turnovers, were also selected to the all-championship team.

As the top seed and host in the East Region, the Dolphins earned a bye into the regional final, where they met Adelphi for the third time in 17 days. After the teams split the first six goals of the game, Adelphi tallied five of the last seven goals of the half to take an 8-5 lead into halftime. The Dolphins scored three of the first four goals of the second half to get within one with 19 minutes later. After Adelphi netted its 10th goal of the game, Le Moyne ran off five straight goals over five and one-half minutes to take control of the game en route to a 14-11 victory and the program’s fourth consecutive berth in the NCAA semifinal.

In the NCAA semifinal, held at UT Lacrosse Stadium on the campus of the University of Tampa, the Dolphins faced fellow Jesuit institution, Regis University. The Dolphins scored five goals in the opening 6:46 en route to an 18-1 victory over the Rangers to earn their first NCAA semifinal victory in six tries and first berth in the national championship game. Delany led the way with eight points on six goals and two assists, while George registered 14 saves.

The Dolphins opened the scoring in the national championship game against Florida Southern College, but the Mocs countered with four straight goals and five out of six to take a 5-2 lead. Le Moyne responded with eight consecutive goals over 11 minutes to take control of the game and carried a 10-6 lead into halftime. The lead for the Dolphins bounced between four and six goals throughout the second half before junior attacker Bryanna Fazio ended the game’s scoring to deliver a 16-11 victory and the program’s first national championship, while setting a program record with 22 victories. Fazio was named the Championship Most Outstanding Player after scoring six goals, while George finished with 12 saves and earner her NCAA Division II-record 22nd victory of the season.

At the end of the season, Gaffney was selected as the IWLCA Defender of the Year and George was tabbed as the IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year. Gaffney and George were joined on the IWLCA All-America First Team by Fazio, while sophomore defender Olivia McEntee was tabbed to the second team and Delany was a third team honoree. Each of those five Dolphins earned NE10 All-Conference First Team accolades, while junior defender Kasi Cabrey and junior midfielder Monica Sanna landed on the second team and sophomore attacker Sidney Hall made the third team. Along with their national player of the year honors, Gaffney was named the NE10 Defender of the Year and George was selected as the NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year.

Le Moyne Women's Lacrosse Links of Note:

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.