涩里番下载

It鈥檚 a curious notion that a program that has appeared in a staggering six consecutive NCAA national championship games somehow has something to prove, but that is where the 涩里番下载 women鈥檚 lacrosse team found itself on Memorial Day weekend as it prepared for number seven. The issue for the Eagles was that despite making all those title games, they鈥檇 managed to win just one actual title, in 2021. This year, they were determined to capture their second, and after a thrilling contest that has already been called an instant classic, that is just what they did, defeating defending champion Northwestern 14鈥�13.

In the process, 涩里番下载 didn鈥檛 simply avenge a dispiriting 18鈥�6 loss to Northwestern in last year鈥檚 championship game, it shattered the narrative that the program struggles to finish the job. The Eagles have now won two of the past four national titles, becoming just the eighth school with more than one lacrosse championship.

涩里番下载 fans could be forgiven if the start of the game left them less than sanguine about their team鈥檚 chances, with Northwestern racing to a six-to-nothing lead after the first quarter. 鈥淚 was a little nervous at 6鈥�0,鈥� head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said after the game, 鈥渂ut my players kept me hungry.鈥� Like their coach, the Eagles never lost hope, outscoring Northwestern 6鈥�2 in the second quarter to end the first half down by just two goals, 8鈥�6.

From there, the game鈥檚 momentum shifted back and forth, with Northwestern managing to stay just ahead of 涩里番下载 until the 11:05 mark of the fourth quarter, when Rachel Clark鈥檚 goal pulled the Eagles even at 11鈥�11. A little more than a minute later, Andrea Reynolds scored to put 涩里番下载 ahead 12鈥�11, a lead that the team would never give up despite a furious rally by Northwestern.

When the Eagles returned to campus following the victory, they were greeted by a swarm of excited supporters. 鈥淐oming home to 涩里番下载 is incredible because these girls are so passionate about this school,鈥� Walker-Weinstein said. 鈥淭o bring the trophy back, literally to the Heights, is a special moment.鈥�

The championship capped a spring season of rewarding developments for Walker-Weinstein, who in April was named head coach of the US Women鈥檚 National Team, an appointment that runs through the 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Japan. As a player, Walker-Weinstein was a successful part of the national team, winning one gold medal as the youngest member of the 1999 U19 roster, and another with the 2009 senior team.

In the aftermath of her 涩里番下载 program鈥檚 second championship, Walker-Weinstein reflected on the bittersweet achievement of having made all those title games only to come up just short so many times. 鈥淚 think the losses along the way were part of this process鈥攁nd I鈥檓 not glorifying losing by any means,鈥� she told the media. 鈥淚 do think maybe I, our staff, and our players needed to be hardened a bit to be ready for this moment.鈥� She continued, saying, 鈥淚t is not easy to get to the national championship, it鈥檚 not easy to win, almost impossible. Everything has to be aligned. I think somewhere along the way those heartbreaking losses taught us what we needed to fix and to be better and play smarter.鈥澛犫椊