Scots Traveling to W&L for NCAA First-Round Game

Emily Baab

Fresh off capturing its fourth North Coast Athletic Conference championship in six seasons, The College of Wooster women’s lacrosse team is gearing up for its first round match-up in the NCAA Div. III Tournament, which will take place this Wednesday, May 9, at 4 p.m. That afternoon, Wooster will take on host and No. 20 ranked Washington & Lee University (14-3) in Lexington, Va. It will mark the first meeting between the two on the lacrosse pitch, and the winner advances to this weekend’s four-team regional in Salisbury, Md., where it would face No. 2 Salisbury University (18-1) Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The winner of the regional goes to the “Final Four.”

Washington & Lee is in the NCAA’s after winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title for the fifth year in a row, defeating Lynchburg College 21-4 and Roanoke College 10-4 in the semifinals and finals, respectively, of the league tournament April 28-29. The Generals and Scots share one common opponent from this season in Guilford College, with Washington & Lee trouncing the Quakers (18-3) and Wooster losing a 20-12 decision to them at the end of its spring break trip.

NCAA Tourney Notes: The Scots are making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, all coming since 2002, and are seeking their first victory. Most recently (2004), Wooster hosted Nazareth College in an opening-round game, dropping a 12-5 decision after the Golden Flyers closed on a 4-0 run. The Scots were sent on the road the previous two years, as Colorado College cruised past Wooster 13-7 in 2003 and Cabrini College held off a furious second-half rally to prevail 12-11 in 2002.

Last Week: The Scots, after ending the regular season as part of a three-way tie for first-place in the NCAC, defeated the two other teams they were tied with to win the NCAC Tournament and improve to 12-4 overall.

On May 4, third-seeded Wooster broke a 6-6 tie with second-seeded Denison University, scoring five unanswered goals during the final five minutes of the first half and carrying that momentum into the second en route to a 19-12 semifinal win in the NCAC tourney at Delaware, Ohio. Denison interuptted the run briefly early in the second half, pulling within four (11-7), but the Scots answered with four more quick goals to take a 15-7 lead with 24:58 remaining. The Big Red never got the margin any closer than six (15-9) the rest of the way. Wooster saw nine different players record goals, led by Taryn Higgins (Marblehead, Mass. / Marblehead), who had four, along with three groundballs and two caused turnovers. Emily Baab (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) and Cassie Brown (New Fairfield, Conn. / New Fairfield) also had four-point outings, with Babb’s coming via a hat trick and one assist and Brown’s on two goals and two assists. Others registering multi-point days were Hillary Darragh (Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Twp.) with three goals, Jess Baylor (Milton, Mass. / Noble and Greenough School) with one goal and one helper, and Annie Steward (Littleton, Mass. / Lawrence Academy) with one goal and one assist. Goalie Jamie Dannenberg (Framingham, Mass. / Framingham) was a key element to the Scots’ victory, too, as she posted 13 saves on 41 Denison shots.

On May 5, host and No. 1 seed Ohio Wesleyan University began the game in control, but Wooster slowly took command and triumphed 13-10 in the NCAC Tournament championship game. The Battling Bishops scored three times within the first five minutes and added another around the midway point of the first half to take a 4-0 lead. Wooster finally got on the board, responding with three unanswered goals of its own during the final 11 minutes of the first half. Ohio Wesleyan appeared to reassert itself with back-to-back scores just 1:10 into the second (6-3), but the Scots then went on a 6-1 run to take a two-goal lead (9-7). The Bishops would even things at 10-10 with 8:21 to play, and then coming up with the key scores were Carly Carey (Cummington, Mass. / Academy at Charlemont) and Baab, who converted free-position shots at the 7:34 and 3:24 marks, respectively. Darragh tacked on an insurance goal with 1:02 remaining to seal it, capping a five-point day (4 goals, 1 assist) for the sophomore midfielder. Baab and Carey each produced hat tricks, and also aiding the cause was Brown with one goal and one assist. Defensively, Dannenberg made 11 saves to help preserve the win.

All-Tourney Team: For their efforts last weekend, junior Emily Baab (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), sophomore Jamie Dannenberg (Framingham, Mass. / Framingham), sophomore Hillary Darragh (Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Twp.), and freshman Britta Harman (Hudson, Ohio / Western Reserve Academy) were chosen to the All-North Coast Atheltic Conference Tournament Team. Baab, an attacker, scored six goals on 15 shots, including 4-for-7 on free position attempts, to go along with one assist and two groundballs. Dannenberg, who has played every minute in goal this season for Wooster, combined for 24 saves, compared to 22 goals allowed. Darragh did a little bit of everything, totaling a team-high eight points (7 goals, 1 assist), three draw controls, and one caused turnover. Harman, a defender, played a key role by collecting five groundballs, seven draw controls, and two caused turnovers.