The Division III NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament is the last one to identify its national semifinalists, as the four quarterfinals took place this afternoon.
All four saw favored blue-blood sides make it to next week’s Final Four in Salem, Va. Franklin & Marshall, which has made its fourth national semifinal in the last dozen years, has qualified. So has William Smith, which has made its second straight national semifinal, albeit it has never won. Also making the last four is Salisbury, which has won three national titles in the last 11 years.
But the team that everyone has been chasing all year (nay, the last three) is Middlebury College. The Panthers have won three national championships in the last four years, and are set for another title. Middlebury is 21-0 on the season, which includes today’s 16-1 win over Pomona-Pfitzer.
I thought Pomoma-Pfitzer was going to post a stiff challenge to Middlebury, not only because of the way they beat Ithaca College in the octofinals, but because the coaching staff for the Sagehens recruit nationwide, everywhere from traditional areas like Maryland and Long Island, but from some of the up-and-coming areas like Minnesota, Florida, Utah, Oregon, and Washington.
I also thought the team would break through for coaches Sarah and Sylvia Queener, who are from one of the nation’s best lacrosse coaching families.
Pomona-Pfitzer did score the first goal this afternoon. But unfortunately for them, the Panthers would score a dozen goals before the interval, including six power-play goals. It was too much for the Sagehens to come back from.
We’ll see, later this week, whether Middlebury is able to win its third consecutive national championship in field hockey, to go with the three straight that the women’s lacrosse team has won.
