FORBES NAMED DIVISION III PLAYER OF THE WEEK BY WOMENSLACROSSE.COM

Apr 22: Junior Amanda Forbes continued to accumulate honors for her performances last week as the midfielder was named NCAA Division III Player of the Week by WomensLacrosse.com on Tuesday.

Forbes ( Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) was recognized because of her outstanding efforts in last week’s three conference contests, as the St. Lawrence women’s lacrosse team went 3-0 to earn a berth in the Liberty League Tournament. She kicked off the week with a four-goal, three-draw control game in a 16-12 win over Clarkson. Against RPI, Forbes controlled 10 draws for the Saints, helping SLU remain undefeated in extra time in 2008. In the win over Vassar, Forbes kicked off an 8-0 run to rally the Saints from down three to up five and clinch the berth in the tournament. Forbes had four draw controls and four goals in the contest.

Earlier in the season, senior Alanna Waters ( Darien, CT/Taft) was named to the WomensLacrosse.com honor roll for her performances during the 2008 Spring Fling, where she led the Saints to a 3-0 week in West Palm Beach, Florida.

FORBES NAMED LIBERTY LEAGUE

CO-OFFENSIVE PERFORMER OF THE WEEK

Apr. 21: Junior Amanda Forbes was honored by the Liberty League for her performances last week, as she was named the conference’s ‘Co-Offensive Performer of the Week’ on Monday after guiding the St. Lawrence women’s lacrosse team to a 3-0 week and their first postseason berth since 2005.

The midfielder ( Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) had 11 points and 17 draw control wins in last week’s contests against Clarkson, Rensselaer and Vassar. Forbes had four goals, three draw control wins, and one ground ball in the Saints' 16-12 win over Clarkson on Tuesday. She picked up 10 of St. Lawrence's 19 draw control wins in the RPI game that went into double overtime, while also scoring two goals and adding an assist. Against Vassar, she scored four goals on only five shots, and picked up four draw control wins.

St. Lawrence has only lost four games this season, all to nationally-ranked teams, and stands at an 11-4 overall record and 5-3 in the Liberty League. The Saints will be the fourth seed in the 2008 Liberty League Championship Tournament and will travel to the No. 1 seed on Friday, May 2 to compete for a spot in the title game.

SAINTS EARN PLAYOFF BERTH WITH

15-12 VICTORY OVER VASSAR

Apr. 19: The ringing of the St. Lawrence Liberty Bell hasn’t sounded as sweet as it did to the St. Lawrence women’s lacrosse team on Saturday afternoon, as the Saints clinched their first Liberty League playoff spot since 2005 after playing catch-up from the first half and recording an astounding 8-0 run to beat conference opponent Vassar College 15-12 on a sunny North Country Field in the home team’s final regular season game of their 2008 campaign.

For the Class of 2008, which includes Liz Skinner (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Stephanie Walter (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham), Alanna Waters (Darien, CT/Taft) and Michaela Wipfler (Portland, ME/Deering), it was their last game on their home turf, but that didn’t stop them from contributing to the team’s winning efforts, as the seniors contributed four points and four ground balls to the victory.

St. Lawrence improves to 11-4 overall and 5-3 in the Liberty League, while Vassar falls to 9-3 overall and 4-3 in the conference.

Junior Amanda Forbes ( Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) continued to be an important contributor to St. Lawrence, as she tallied a team-high four goals. Waters had three goals, including the game-winner, and an assist for four points in the contest, while junior Brittany Misercola ( Watertown, NY/ Watertown) had her best game of her collegiate career, scoring two goals and tallying two assists.

Also scoring for the Saints was first-year Kelsey Redpath (Norwich, VT/Hanover) who had two goals, and sophomores Julie Wooters (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan), Mary Jane Sweetland (Hopewell, NJ/Stuart Country Day) and Lexi Wisnowski (Middlebury, VT/Middlebury Union), as well as rookie Kim Morse (Peaks Island, ME/Yarmouth Academy) each tallied one. Wooters, Morse, and first-year Kaitlyn Fahsel ( Watertown, NY/South Jefferson) each recorded an assist.

Despite an early goal from Wooters, Vassar quickly poured on the pressure early on in the opening half and scored three unanswered goals to give them a 3-1 edge with 23:25 on the scoreboard. St. Lawrence was able to tie the Brewers after Forbes tallied two and Redpath had one with a Vassar goal in between to make the score 4-4 with 18:32 remaining.

The visiting team responded with two of their own goals to grab a two point lead with just under eight minutes to go, but Forbes slid another one past Vassar’s goalie Ariel Nelson to get back within a goal. A St. Lawrence foul sent Vassar to the eight, where they were able to slip one past Saints’ first-year goalie Anna Marchand (Concord, MA/Middlesex) to give Vassar a 7-5 lead that they maintained throughout the remainder of the half.

The Brewer duo of Christine Castellan and Allie Morgan led Vassar’s offense in the first period, with Castellan scoring the visitor’s first five goals, with Morgan closing out the half with two to give Vassar a 7-5 advantage at halftime.

Despite the halftime deficit, the Saints were not at all worn down as they got back onto the field for the second half. Vassar’s Sarah Warner scored another goal to give Vassar their biggest lead of the half with a score of 8-5 while Sweetland followed suit and scored to get back within two. Castellan was able to find a way for the ball to make it to the back of the net from a free-position shot to score Vassar’s ninth goal, pushing the visiting team back into a three-goal lead with a score of 9-6 with 22:41 left.

But a calm St. Lawrence squad took control of the contest from that point forward and the momentum of the game changed as Morse tallied a goal that sparked a stunning 8-0 run that bewildered the Brewers, who were unable to find any way to stop the Saints. The Scarlet and Brown kept Vassar scoreless for nearly 16 minutes until they had two free-position shot opportunities that they cashed in on. Each team saw another goal scored before the Saints were able to enjoy their 15-12 win over the Brewers.

“We finally relaxed and really stopped making the errors that cost us the lead in the first half,” said Saints’ head coach Jodi Canfield. “We were in charge of our own destiny, and when we finally played the way were capable of playing, we took control of the game.”

Canfield said some adjustments were made in order to make it a more successful second half for St. Lawrence. “We started moving the ball around the eight-meter and had two key plays that created a lot more drives to goal. We were able to see the gaps and find open people, while also making better decisions on shots to take.”

“This team has worked so hard this year, and we knew coming into this game we needed this win in order to go to Liberty Leagues, and we rose to that challenge,” she added.

St. Lawrence enjoyed a 33-23 advantage in shots, while picking up 15 ground balls, compared to the Brewer’s nine. The teams were nearly even in draw control winds, while Vassar honed in on its expertise in free position shots, making five of their eight.

Nelson tallied ten saves, while Marchand recorded five.

St. Lawrence will face the Liberty League regular season champion on Friday, May 2, with the site and time yet to be determined.

SAINTS EDGE RENSSELAER 12-11

IN DOUBLE OVERTIME THRILLER

Apr. 18: Sophomore Mary Jane Sweetland tallied the game-winning goal with just six seconds left in double overtime to lead the St. Lawrence University women’s lacrosse team to a 12-11 triumph over Liberty League opponent Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday on a sunny North Country Field, avenging their 10-9 loss to the Red Hawks in 2007.

Sweetland’s ( Hopewell, NJ/Stuart Country Day) goal, her first game-winner of the season and her second of her collegiate career, helps the Saints improve to a 10-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference. It is the first time since 2003 the squad has won ten games in a season, and the Scarlet and Brown maintain their perfect overtime record this season with the win, tallying their third of their 2008 campaign. Rensselaer fell to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the Liberty League with the loss.

Junior Amanda Forbes (Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) was critical to the Saints’ success, tallying two goals and an assist, but also winning 10 of St. Lawrence’s 19 draw controls that led to several fast break chances. Others scoring for St. Lawrence were senior co-captain Alanna Waters (Darien, CT/Taft), who added three goals and an assist, rookie Kim Morse (Peaks Island, ME/Yarmouth Academy) and Sweetland who each had two while adding an assist, while sophomores Julie Wooters (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) and Katrina Knickerbocker (Clinton Corners, NY/The Gunnery), and first-year Kelsey Redpath (Norwich, VT/Hanover) each had a goal. Senior co-captain Liz Skinner (Liverpool, NY/ Liverpool) tallied an assist.

A goal from Forbes and two from Waters opened up a first half that belonged to the Saints, as the home team enjoyed a 3-0 lead just a 1:48 into the contest. Smooth transitions, taking advantage of fast break opportunities and strong defensive efforts defined the Scarlet and Brown in the first part of the half, only allowing one Red Hawk goal in the opening 25 minutes. Sweetland tallied her first goal of the afternoon, while Morse and Knickerbocker each added one to give the Saints a 6-1 lead with 7:20 remaining in the first.

Rensselaer’s Stephanie Caouette recorded her first of the contest, while teammate Sam Fennessey, who recorded the first goal for the Big Red, added another to cut St. Lawrence’s lead in half to end the first period with a 6-3 score in favor of the Saints.

The tables turned in the second as Rensselaer was able to hone in on their stronger offensive players and find ways to the goal en route to overcoming their first half deficit. The Red Hawks outscored the Saints 5-2 in the first 16 minutes of the second period to tie the game 8-8. Waters was fed the ball by Sweetland to give the lead back to St. Lawrence, but the visiting team came back and scored on a free position to tie it once again.

Rensselaer took a 10-9 lead, their first of the contest, with just 3:42 remaining on the clock after an unassisted goal from Caouette, but St. Lawrence continued to put on the pressure. Morse found herself in front of the net after a free-position shot by Forbes, and got the rebound and put it past Red Hawk Ariana Hood to tie the game 10-10 with 41 seconds to go in regulation, forcing the two teams into overtime.

Rensselaer’s Emily Donowick tallied the first goal in overtime with just over three minutes to play to give the Red Hawks a bit of momentum heading into the last part of the period. But a turnover on the part of the visitors gave Redpath control of the ball, as she stormed down the field and shot it into the net to tie it once again at 11-11 with 1:20 to go. Neither team was able to take advantage of the final moments as they braced for a sudden death second overtime.

Each team had a chance early on in the fourth period to end the contest, but neither was able to do so until Saints’ first-year goalie Anna Marchand (Concord, MA/Middlesex) made a crucial save and got the ball down in the opposite end, where St. Lawrence set up a play and fed the ball to Sweetland, who got the ball at the top of the eight-meter and headed towards goal. The sophomore hesitated slightly, as did her defender, giving Sweetland that much more control as she beat the Red Hawk defense and drove it into the net for the game-winner with only six seconds left in the period.

“This team has found a way throughout the season to win the one goal games, and that says a lot for their character and composure, as well as their will to win,” said Saints’ Head Coach Jodi Canfield. “ Rensselaer played solid defensively with a strategy that frustrated some of our key players, but that didn’t stop any of them. [Marchand] came up big in goal for us in the final minutes, as we’ve seen a number of times this season, while [Forbes] was crucial in winning those draw controls.”

The Saints out shot Rensselaer 35-20 and 26-18, while the Red Hawks had 19 ground ball pick ups, compared to St. Lawrence’s 16. Hood had 12 saves for the visitors, including a key save in overtime, while Marchand tallied seven.

The Saints find themselves still in the running for a spot in the Liberty League Tournament heading into Saturday’s game with Vassar, the last regular season game for St. Lawrence. The contest with the Brewers is scheduled to begin at 3:00pm on North Country Field.

STRONG SECOND HALF GIVES SAINTS

16-12 VICTORY OVER CLARKSON

Apr. 15: A 5-0 run in the second half gave the St. Lawrence University women’s lacrosse team the confidence they needed to overcome a 7-6 halftime deficit to defeat North Country rival and Liberty League opponent Clarkson University 16-12 Tuesday afternoon on Clarkson Field.

The Scarlet and Brown pick up their ninth win of the season, improving to a 9-4 record overall and an even 3-3 Liberty League record heading into their last two games of the regular season this weekend with conference opponents Rensselaer and Vassar. Clarkson falls to 2-8 and 1-5 in the league with the loss.

Senior co-captain Alanna Waters ( Darien, CT/Taft) tallied a career-high six assists, tying the school record for the third time this season, while also scoring two goals for an eight-point game to lead the Saints against the Golden Knights. The attack currently stands at 71 points so far in her 2008 campaign, making her only the sixth Saint to reach more than 70 points in a season in the past two decades.

Others scoring for St. Lawrence included rookie Kaitlyn Fahsel ( Watertown, NY/South Jefferson), who tallied three goals, including the game-winner, and an assist. Junior Amanda Forbes ( Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) had four goals, while first-year Kim Morse had three. Senior co-captain Liz Skinner (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), sophomores Lexi Wisnowski (Middlebury, VT/Middlebury Union) and Katrina Knickerbocker (Clinton Corners, NY/The Gunnery), as well as first-year Kelsey Redpath (Norwich, VT/Hanover) each scored a goal to add to the Saints’ efforts.

The well-contested first period included three lead changes and four ties, with neither team earning more than a two goal lead. The Saints jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after a goal from both Forbes and Redpath just 1:30 into the contest, but Clarkson’s Alicia Chace and Kimberly Loucks scored two to tie things up with 23:12 remaining in the half.

Morse tallied her first of the game just a minute later, while Loucks and teammate Emily Bojarski each added another for the Golden Knights to make the score 4-3, giving Clarkson their first lead of the game with 13:38 to go.

A 3-0 Saints’ run with goals from Forbes, Waters, and Skinner in the next five and a half minutes gave St. Lawrence momentum and a 6-4 edge, while giving Clarkson all the more reason to storm back on their home field. The Golden Knights scored three unanswered goals in the final six minutes to close out the half with a 7-6 advantage.

Wisnowski and Forbes opened up the second with two unassisted goals to push the visiting squad back into the lead, but a St. Lawrence foul sent Golden Knight Brittnie Carroll to the eight-meter, which she tucked in just past Saints’ first-year goalie Anna Marchand to tie the game at 8-8 with 27:41 to go in the contest.

Waters added her second goal while Morse tallied two more to give the Saints an 11-8 advantage, their biggest lead of the game, while Loucks was successful from the eight-meter to get within two of the Scarlet and Brown, bringing the score to 11-9 with 17:15 remaining.

The momentum on Clarkson Field changed after Fahsel won the draw control following Clarkson’s goal and stormed down the field to drive the ball into the net past Golden Knight goalie Meagan Emlaw, sparking a 5-0 St. Lawrence run that included two more from the North Country native, including the eventual game-winner, as well as a goal from Knickerbocker and Forbes to give the visiting team a comfortable 16-9 lead. A last minute effort on Clarkson’s part included three goals in the last 6:17 of the contest, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap, giving St. Lawrence the crucial 16-12 victory.

“Our second half was big for us on both ends of the field,” said Saints’ Head Coach Jodi Canfield. “Offensively, we really started to click. Our transitions improved and were nearly flawless, which helped lead to some fast-break goals.”

“Defensively, we started creating turnovers all over the field, which was great as far as keeping possession. We sealed up some of the holes in front of Anna that were somewhat problematic for us in the first. We didn’t completely shut down some of their key players, but definitely made it more difficult to run their offense.”

St. Lawrence out shot their neighbors 33-27 and picked up 23 groundballs, compared to the Golden Knights’ 16. Clarkson held a 16-14 advantage in draw controls, and made two of their six free position shots, while the Saints were unable to cash in on either of their two shots from the eight-meter.

The Saints will host Rensselaer in Liberty League action this Friday, April 18 on North Country Field, with the game scheduled to begin at 4:00pm.