CMS Women's Lacrosse Takes Down Chapman in SCIAC Semfinals

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's lacrosse team used a balanced offense and a stifling defense to take a 21-2 win over Chapman on Wednesday in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament Semifinals at Zinda Field.

With the win, CMS improves to 13-5 on the year and advances to face top-seeded Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Chapman concludes its season at 9-6. 

Grace Minturn had four goals and two assists, Catherine Murphy had four goals and Hannah Conte and Cate Lewison each added three for the Athenas. Kendall Chapko had six saves and allowed one goal in 48 minutes to spearhead the defensive effort, while midfielder Stella Hansot had three caused turnovers and five ground balls, and Julia Ryan had 12 draw controls. 

The Panthers had given CMS some trouble in the first half of both regular season meetings, playing to a 7-7 tie for the first, and jumping out to a 4-1 lead before CMS surged ahead at the half 10-7 in the rematch. Both times the Athenas were able to pull away in the second half, but this time around, CMS was able to seize control early, leading 8-1 after the first quarter and 12-1 at the half. 

Paige Morgan opened the scoring for CMS, and was followed by goals from Amelia Ulmer, Cate Lewison, Minturn and Murphy, before Lewison became the first Athena with two to make it 6-0 at the 4:57 mark. Chapman broke the ice with 4:07 left, but Ulmer and Conte closed out the quarter with goals to make it 8-1. 

Conte then opened the second quarter with back-to-back goals, and Minturn closed it out with back-to-back goals to make it 12-1 at the break. Hansot, Maggie Griffis, and Sheridan Dorsey joined the goal-scoring list in the second half for the Athenas. 

CMS will try to turn the tables against Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC Championship on Saturday, after the Sagehens were able to win in overtime in the last meeting, rallying from a three-goal deficit to tie it with eight seconds left, and winning at the buzzer in overtime.

Pomona-Pitzer also won last year's SCIAC Championship 13-12, after CMS rallied from nine goals down to pull within one after three quarters, and neither team scored in the fourth as the Sagehens held on for the narrow win.