GAME REPORTS From "SPRINGFLING 2024"

Game One: March 11. WESTFIELD STATE 17, WOOSTER 16 (OT). Westfield State University (Massachusetts) senior Kiely Hafensteiner scooped up a groundball rebound following a sprawling save by The College of Wooster (Ohio) junior Ashley Reynolds and scored the winning goal with 4:55 remaining in overtime. Westfield State’s Emma Cretella scored twice in a 26-second span in the final minute of regulation to tie the game at 16. Cretella’s six goals marked the game high. Cretella, a senior, finished with seven points, six caused turnovers, and three draw controls.

Game Two: March 11. Kenyon 23, Eastern Connecticut State 1. Kenyon College (Ohio) dominated Eastern Connecticut State University from the start, scoring six times in the opening period. Twelve Owls found the scoring column with junior Mallory Brophy, sophomore Spencer Kirsch, and senior Kate Lengel all scoring three times. Junior Blyte Karras and sophomore Lily Mason passed out three assists each. Senior Maddie Garner led all players with six draw controls.

Game Three: March 11. Dickinson College 16, SUNY Geneseo 15 (OT). Dickinson’s (Pennsylvania) Ali Broome’s caused turnover immediately following Geneseo’s Molly Brown establishing draw control possession at the start of overtime gave the Devils the momentum needed to complete the comeback. Sage Whiteside’s winning free position goal came with 4:49 remaining in overtime. The back-and-forth tilt included five lead changes and the score was tied at nine different points. Dickinson’s Bella Guckes scored five goals on six shots. Two of Guckes’ goals came in the final 3:33 of regulation, as Dickinson overcame at 15-13 deficit. Brown scored five goals, including her 100th, and passed out two assists for Geneseo.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY TWO

Game Four: March 12. Bowdoin College 11, Springfield College 9. Bowdoin (Maine) locked things down defensively, holding Springfield (Massachusetts) to six fourth-quarter possessions in its first win of 2024. Bowdoin first-year goalkeeper Caroline Clinton’s play was instrumental in the win. Clinton was inserted at the start of the fourth quarter and made two saves. Bowdoin scored eight of its goals after halftime. Junior Lauren Burke’s go-ahead score came with 7:10 remaining. Bowdoin utilized a 17-5 edge in draw controls to secure the victory. Senior Emelia Krakora was the leader with seven.

Game Five: March 12. Plymouth State University 11, Ohio Wesleyan University 10. Plymouth State (New Hampshire) junior Jenna Stowell split a pair of Ohio Wesleyan (Ohio) defenders with 14 seconds remaining for the game-winning goal in an exciting Tuesday afternoon contest. Ohio Wesleyan sophomore Tiffany Trinh’s free-position goal had just pulled the Battling Bishops into a 10-10 tie inside the final minute. Stowell secured the draw control prior to the go-ahead goal. Senior Megan Gaspa clinched the win with the draw control following Stowell’s goal. Junior Julia Donovan’s three goals marked the game high. 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY THREE

Game Six: March 13. Bowdoin College 14, Westfield State University 9. Bowdoin (Maine) seized control of Wednesday’s opener with a six-goal third period. A 6-0 run, which went from 6:37 in the third until 3:36 in the fourth, gave Bowdoin a commanding 14-6 lead. Four Polar Bears contributed scores during the 6-0 stretch, which saw junior Lauren Burke and sophomore Annie Moore score two goals each. Bowdoin’s aggressive defense caused 15 Westfield turnovers. Seniors Auggie Burke and Ellie Schofield were credited with three each. Schofield’s came during clear attempts. Senior Emelia Krakora emerged as Bowdoin’s all-around standout with four goals and five draw controls.

Game Seven: March 13. Meredith College 17, Eastern Connecticut State University 10. Meredith (North Carolina) sophomore Reese Walker powered the Angels with five goals, three assists, seven draw controls, and three caused turnovers. Walker took over the game in the second quarter, scoring three straight goals as part of Meredith’s 7-0 run that opened a sizable 14-3 lead. Eastern Connecticut sophomore Alexa Vizzini led a spirited late charge by the Warriors with three consecutive fourth-quarter goals. Meredith first-year Kenzie Todd matched Walker for the game-high with five goals.

Game Eight: March 13. SUNY Geneseo 13, Kenyon College 9. Geneseo held off a strong third-quarter surge from Kenyon (Ohio), which pulled within 10-9 in a game it trailed 8-1 at halftime. Geneseo senior Megan Cook provided insurance for the Knights, extending the lead to two with 8:00 remaining. Geneseo did not allow a goal over the final 14:01, with three of senior Emily DeJohn’s six saves coming in that stretch. Kenyon junior Nola Garand kept the Owls in the game with 12 saves, eight of which came in the first half. Senior Maddie Brown led Geneseo with four goals.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY FOUR

Game Nine: March 14. The College of Wooster 13, Plymouth State University 12. Wooster (Ohio) junior Ashley Reynolds’ career-high 16 saves helped the Fighting Scots hold off Plymouth State (New Hampshire) and secure head coach Elizabeth Ford’s 200th career win. Reynolds made 10 saves in the first half, which were one off her prior career-high of 11. Wooster sophomore Lizzie Hardy’s draw control following an extended three-on-three battle in the midfield with the ball on the turf gave the Scots crucial possession in the final 90 seconds. Plymouth State regained possession with 14 seconds remaining, but had to go the length of the field down a player and could not get a shot off in its bid to tie the game.

Game 10: March 14. Dickinson College 13, Ohio Wesleyan University 6. Dickinson (Pennsylvania) scored seven unanswered goals in the second period in what was otherwise a 6-6 contest. Senior Emma Wynne started the decisive stretch with her second goal of the contest at the second period’s 13:05 mark. The attacker finished the day with a co-game-high three goals. Junior Delaney Herbert netted three goals and passed out three assists, while first-year Sage Whiteside’s seven draw controls helped Dickinson to a 15-8 advantage. 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY SIX

Game 12: March 18. Framingham State University 15, Western New England University 10. Framingham State (Massachusetts) opened week two of the 2024 SpringFling with a victory over Western New England (Massachusetts). Framingham State senior Hannah Guerin turned in one of the top offensive performances of this year’s SpringFling with an eight-point game. Guerin scored five times and passed out three of Framingham State’s eight assists. Western New England was led by junior Mia Celentano’s four goals. Western New England senior goalkeeper Faith Graveline kept the Golden Bears in the game with 13 saves. Draw controls were a big factor, with Framingham State having 20, including nine by senior Rachel Erickson.

Game 13: March 18. No. 2 William Smith College 10, No. 4 Salisbury University 7. Fourth-ranked William Smith (New York) sophomore Hannah Evans broke a 6-6 tie with 14:24 remaining, for the first of three straight goals scored by the Herons in the signature game of this year’s SpringFling. The top-five matchup brought a 2023 national semifinalist (William Smith) and a sectional semifinalist (Salisbury (Maryland)) to the SpringFling for a game that was carried live on the Northeast Sports Network’s streaming portal. Evans scored a co-game-high three goals, tying for high honors with senior Maddie Montgomery. Junior goalkeeper Maura Smeader played a large factor in William Smith’s win, turning aside 12 Salisbury shots. Junior Natalie Held led the Sea Gulls with four groundballs and three caused turnovers. First-year Janey Sypeck proved why she earned a starting spot, causing five Sea Gull turnovers.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY SEVEN

Game 14: March 19. Hartwick College 14, Worcester State University 13. The fifth one-goal game of the SpringFling saw Hartwick (New York) top Worcester State (Massachusetts). Hartwick junior Kara Anderson broke a 13-13 tie with 3:06 remaining in the game for her fourth goal of the morning. Teammate, and classmate, Kristen Vaccarelli led all players with six goals. Hartwick senior Claudia Pollaro controlled the defensive end with four caused turnovers, while first-years Brooke Lynett and Alexa Patrakis each played a half in goal and combined for 15 saves.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY EIGHT

Game 15: March 20. Framingham State University 15, Keene State College 9. Framingham State (Massachusetts) senior Hannah Guerin again had eight points, this time scoring six times and passing out two assists. Junior Leah Green complemented that with four goals and two assists. Framingham State earned numerous extra possessions, thanks to a 19-8 double-up on draw controls. Junior Molly Lanier’s nine draws were one more than the total logged by Keene State (New Hampshire). Keene sophomore Tess Brown totaled seven groundballs, six caused turnovers, and five draw controls in the loss.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY NINE

Game 16: March 21. Worcester State University 17, Keene State College 14. Worcester State (Massachusetts) overcame a 7-1 deficit to start the final day of the 2024 SpringFling. A 4-0 run that started with 2:32 remaining in the second quarter resulted in a tied game when sophomore Mckayla Fisher made it 8-8 with 14:17 left in the third. Worcester State had a pair of 3-0 runs in the second half. Graduate student Shea Jarvis scored three of the six goals during the 3-0 runs on her way to a seven-point game. Jarvis finished with four goals and three assists. Keene State (New Hampshire) fifth-year senior Haile Ratajack scored six goals on nine shots.

Game 17: March 21. Hartwick College 16, Western New England University 4. The final game of the 2024 SpringFling saw Hartwick (New York) down Western New England (Massachusetts) 16-4. Hartwick’s 9-0 run started at the 6:59 mark of the first quarter and went until 14:12 showed on the third-quarter clock. Junior Kristen Vaccarelli’s seven goals led all players, while junior Katrina Marten was right behind with six scores. Hartwick junior Kara Anderson logged her 100th career point in the win.

It was an amazing two weeks' worth of play. Five One-Goal games, Overtime games, an incredible match-up of two of the finest teams in the country on Monday night, March 18 (that included a first class webcast LIVE from the site), an outstanding facility that drew raves from everyone in attendance, excellent officiating, a phenomenal job of statistics-keeping and reporting by KEVIN SMITH of the College of Wooster, beautiful weather throughout, and smiles, smiles, and more smiles! It was a great "SpringFling" - perhaps the finest in its 26 year history!

GAME REPORTS From "SpringFling 2023"

Game One: March 13. VASSAR 23 EASTERN CONNECTICUT 12. Senior Maddy Kretten scored six goals and added three assists in the win. Vassar jumped out to an 8-4 lead after the first quarter and Vassar coasted from there.

Game Two: March 13. NAZARETH 19 SUNY FREDONIA 14. Senior Emma States scored nine goals to lead the Golden Flyers to the win. First Year Allie Klestinec recorded six saves in her first collegiate win.

Game Three: March 14. WESTFIELD STATE 18 MARYMOUNT 7. Westfield State jumped out to an 11-0 lead before Marymount got on the board. Cassidy Harvey was the scoring leader with 5 goals and three assists. Sydney Smith added three saves for Westfield State in the win.

Game Four: March 14. FRAMINGHAM STATE 25 OHIO NORTHERN 7. Framingham State posted a 7-1 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Rachel Erickson scored 5 goals and Regan Fein added 4 more. Madison Skiff scored twice for ONU.

Game Five: March 14. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 16 MERCHANT MARINE 6. Sophomore Aine Downey scored twice to lead Conn College to a non-conference win over USMMA. Emily Yorns, Elizabeth Gill, and Suzie Smith added three points apiece. Violette Nidds was the winning goalie.

Game Six: March 14. KENYON 11 SUNY GENESEO 10. In a "SpringFling" Instant Classic, Kenyon College edged out SUNY Geneseo 11-10 at Publix Sports Park. Before a rabid fan base, the Owls from Ohio built a quick 5-0 lead over the #25 ranked New York squad. But SUNY did not quit and got the deficit back to one goal at 10-9 entering the fourth quarter. In an entertaining and fast-paced final frame, Caroline O'Neil scored the game-winner with 6:21 remaining to give Kenyon the win.

Game Seven: March 15. MARYMOUNT 16 EASTERN CONNECTICUT 9. Graduate student Emily Peters scored four times while Taylor Chepren added three more to lead the Saints to the win. Caroline Stent scored twice for Eastern Connecticut. Marymount had a 13-6 halftime lead.

Game Eight: March 15. VASSAR 16 NAZARETH 9. Junior goalie Lauren Johns made 13 saves to key Vassar's 16-9 win over New York state rival Nazareth College on Wednesday. Vassar broke open a 5-3 halftime lead with seven straight goals. Maren Wallace scored four times for Nazareth in the loss.

Game Nine: March 16. SUNY GENESEO 11 WESTFIELD STATE 9. Emily Salanger scored four goals to lead #25 ranked SUNY Geneseo over Westfield State on Thursday morning at "SpringFling". Megan Cook added three goals for SUNY. Emma Cretalla scored three times for Westfield State. Westfield's 27 turnovers were too much to overcome for the MASCAC team from the western part of the state.

Game Ten: March 16: MERCHANT MARINE 17 FRAMINGHAM STATE 12. In a tale of two halves, USMMA came storming back from a 6-4 halftime deficit to post a strong 17-12 win over a talented FSU squad. Kaitlyn Latchaw scored four goals for USMMA while Hannah Guerin added four of her own for Framingham State.

Game Eleven: March 16. SUNY FREDONIA 18 OHIO NORTHERN 3. Erin Woods scored six goals, Julie Culver four, and Sydney Buchko added 8 draw controls in the win.

Game Twelve: March 16. KENYON 15 MARYMOUNT 2. "SpringFling 2023" concluded its 25th. anniversary season with a powerful win by a dominant Kenyon team. Despite scoring the game's first goal, Marymount was overpowered by the Kenyon Owl team en route to its seventh consecutive win to open their season. All American Caroline O'Neil led the way with three goals for Coach Jess Good's team.