The second-seeded Eastern University women's lacrosse team closed out the game with a 5-0 run to emerge with their third straight Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championship in a 13-8 win at Cabrini College. The Eagles await word from the NCAA on the location and opponent for their first round game.
Jessie Basch led all scorers with five goals and an assist, but another Zionsville, Indiana native stole a little bit of the limelight in the championship game. First year defender Lindsay Moosey picked up a goal and an assist in the Eagles late run. Moosey did not play in the regular season match up between the teams, but has grown through the year and has become a primary piece of the defense in front of Kim Campbell.
Campbell, who celebrated her 21st birthday with a stellar effort, was outstanding in the second half as the Eagles rallied from a 7-5 halftime deficit to claim an 8-7 lead. The Cavaliers tied the game at eight midway through the half, but the Eagles showed their depth and fitness in the closing moments with a 5-0 run. Campbell made 18 saves for the game and earned Most Outstanding Player honors.
Campbell was not alone in her defensive efforts. Sophomore midfielder Liza O'Keefe drew the assignment of defending Cabrini's Erin Nollen. Nolan scored twice, but O'Keefe's efforts helped to reduce the quality of the Cavaliers scoring chances throughout. Linnea Davis and Sarah Hager also provided a steady presence for the Eastern defense that allowed just a single goal in the last two second halves.
Katie Choquette continued to make her presence felt in the attack with a three goal two assist effort. Erin Fries scored a pair of goals as well.
Basch opened the scoring two and a half minutes into the game on a nice feed from Katie Maguire. Cabrini tied the match at 1-1 four minutes later. The Eagles put together a three goal run as Basch put her stamp on the game with two goals and an assist in the run. After she scored on a free position shot, she set up Choquette's first goal of the day. Basch then finished another Maguire pass to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead midway through the first half.
Out of the time out, the Cavaliers immediately increased the intensity and within seconds had picked up their second and third yellow cards of the contest. That high intensity defense sparked a 5-0 Cabrini run. Jamie O'Hanlon scored a pair to start the run and the Cavaliers held a 6-4 advantage with three minutes to play. The sixth Cabrini goal was Nollen's first of the day. The Eagles responded with a quick-stick strike from Erin Fries off a Choquette pass.
Nollen worked her way free for another transition goal with one minute left to lift the Cavaliers to a 7-5 advantage. The first half. After a controversy at the break, the Eagles emerged with another run to start the half. Basch and Choquette started the scoring with driving goals to tie the game. Erin Reimel then buried a sprawling shot while falling down that looked very similar to the game winning strike from the 2007 Championship game. Reimel wound up on her back in nearly the same spot that Kate Hoy did last year.
Up 8-7, the Eagles looked to grow in confidence. Cabrini scored what appeared to be the tying goal in the contest. After a nice combination play in front of the cage and an apparent goal, a stick check on the goal-scorer showed a deep pocket and the goal was disallowed. When asked about the stick check, Eastern assistant coach Rachel Lenzo said, "That was all Jessie [Basch]. She saw something earlier in the game, and she took mental note. After the girl scored, Jessie, as a captain, has the right to ask and the goal was disallowed. She had seen it and filed it away for a big moment."
The momentum, however, changed slightly as the Cavaliers again raised their level of defensive intensity. Amanda Alexandrowiz scored her third of the game on a nice pass from Katelyn Penrose to tie the game with thirteen and a half minutes to play. No one watching the game would have suspected that Cabrini was not going to score again.
Off the ensuing draw, Moosey picked up a loose ball in the midfield and instead of looking for a midfield player sprinted at the cage. As she entered the fan, a deep defender finally stepped to stop her progress. Moosey delivered the ball right to Choquette's stick and the Eagles took the lead for good.
The Eagles then played a change of pace game for a few minutes as they pulled the Cabrini defenders away from the goal and looked to exploit the open space. Choquette set up another Fries strike just inside of 12 minutes remaining, and Basch finished her fifth of the day just after the draw to give the Eagles an 11-8 lead. Campbell then started to impact the game. The Eagles picked up their fourth yellow card of the game and O'Keefe had to leave with leg cramping, and the junior birthday girl stepped up to build a wall in front of her own goal. Campbell made many of her 12 second half saves late in the game to slow the Cabrini outburst.
Moosey then delivered another decisive blow when she picked off a Cabrini clear attempt at midfield and raced at the cage and calmly delivered a low shot for her fourth goal of the year. Griffith scored her fiftieth of the year to close out the scoring for the Eagles.
Today's game ends a run of seven straight and a decade with nine Championship Games between the two neighboring schools. Eastern will join the MAC for 2009. The Eagles broke Cabrini's run of eight straight championships in 2006, and have now won three straight titles at Cabrini.
Coach Lenzo said of the day, "We are really pleased with the way the team played today. We showed that we learned a lot from the first time we played them, and we felt that the girls made really good adjustments to what they were trying to do. Kim fed off the energy of the players in front of her and delivered a spectacular performance. We are excited to find out what is next."
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