HARTFORD, Conn. (May 14, 2011) – Despite opening the game with a 4-0 advantage, the Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team (16-4) fell in the NCAA Round of 16 to Bowdoin College by a score of 13-10. Christine Smith tallied a natural hat trick in the first half to lead the Ducks in the contest that featured the country's no. 10 and no. 11 teams.
Both teams were scoreless through the game's first five minutes, before Michelle Buonacuore connected on a free position opportunity with 24:36 left in the first half to open things up. Christine Smith then cut across the open goal crease and stuffed home the feed by Buonacuore for a one-time goal that gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead.
Just 20 seconds later at 22:53, Smith and Buonacuore hooked up again for another, nearly-identical goal as Stevens raced out to a 3-0 advantage.
After a few fruitless possessions for both teams, it was Smith who scored again on a one-time feed from Buonacuore with 19:35 left, forcing Bowdoin to call a timeout trailing 4-0 just 10 minutes into the game as Smith earned the natural hat-trick.
After the timeout, Katie Stewart (Chevy Chase, Md.) took matters into her own hands and finally put the Polar Bears on the board with a coast-to-coast goal after Bowdoin won their first draw control of the game.
After Stewart's quick score out of the break, both teams were scoreless for five minutes before a free-position goal by Bowdoin's Katie Dissinger (Upper Brookville, N.Y.) closed the gap to 4-2.
Stevens goalie Meg Collins played a strong first 15 minutes, stopping six shots total in the first period.
However, Bowdoin scored another free position goal with about 11 minutes left, making the contest a one-goal affair. The Polar Bears tied it up on a goal by Carolyn Gorajek (Hightstown, N.J.) one minute later.
The Ducks were stymied by Bowdoin goalkeeper Tara Connolly (Simsbury, Conn.) and the Polar Bear defense for 12 minutes during one stretch of the first half before Kara Rafferty finally broke the tie and the Stevens drought with a nice goal from the left side on an assist from Buonacuore.
Jenna Scheibling scored with 3:42 left in the first to give the Ducks some breathing room, going top-shelf on a free position attempt.
Bowdoin got one back on a Gorajek goal just 34 seconds later, and nearly tied it on another free position attempt that rang off the crossbar at the 2-minute mark. The Ducks picked up the ensuing loose ball and drove down the field, where Pamela Loria set up Rafferty for the seventh Stevens goal of the half. The Ducks would lead by a count of 7-5 at the break.
Rafferty controlled the opening draw of the second half for Stevens, and the Ducks held possession for the first four minutes of the period before Pamela Loria buried free-position goal with exactly 26 minutes remaining in regulation that gave Stevens an 8-5 advantage.
Again, Bowdoin answered quickly, scoring just 15 seconds later after controlling the draw that followed Loria's goal. The Bears scored once more with 22:36 left to close within one at 8-7. Three minutes later Elizabeth Clegg (Hudson, Ohio) made a nifty move to score an unassisted goal that tied the game at 8.
Bowdoin took their first lead on a goal from Katie Herter (Topsfield, Mass.) with 20:12 left in the game, forcing the Ducks to call time out in an attempt to halt the 4-0 Polar Bear run.
Bowdoin's Katie Stewart spoiled that strategy and scored unassisted immediately following the timeout to increase the Polar Bear lead to two. Rafferty finally stopped the bleeding with a goal to cut the lead in half but Bowdoin had a quick response and they led 11-9 with 17 minutes remaining.
Christine Smith then received a pass over the middle from Loria, giving the Ducks a swift score of their own and trimming the lead back to just one. Bowdoin responded as they did all game, this time with a Klegg goal with 14 minutes left, as Stevens trailed 12-10.
Bowdoin added another insurance goal and would hold the Ducks scoreless over the last fifteen minutes of the game to hang on for the 13-10 win and advance to Sunday's regional final.
Stevens ends its season in the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second-straight year, currently ranked no. 2 in the New York region and no. 10 in the nation.
