CHAMPS! Women's Lacrosse Wins NJCAA Title

HENRIETTA, N.Y. – CHAMPS! The top-ranked Anne Arundel Community College women's lacrosse team defeated second seed Onondaga Community College, 14-11, to win complete an undefeated season and claim its third NJCAA title Sunday at John L. DiMarco Field on the campus of Monroe Community College.

Tournament Offensive MVP Lyndsey Miller scored seven goals and added two assists. Nellie Gownley added three goals, while Julia Sokolowski scored two goals and assisted another. Savanna Reitz scored twice.

AACC (10-0) got off to a slow start, but used an 8-1 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters to take home the hardware. The title marks the third in Riverhawks' women's lacrosse program history, and the first since 2007.

AACC scored first in the game, but saw Onondaga go on a three-goal run in the first quarter to hold a 3-1 lead headed into the first break.

The Riverhawks scored three in a row to open the second quarter to retake the lead, 4-3, with 9:06 left in the quarter. Gownley got things started when her pass off a free position attempt clanged off a defender's stick and right back into hers as she crashed the net for her first of the day. Miller scored next on a free position goal before Gownley completed a long transition with a bounce shot goal.

OCC (10-3) took advantage of AACC's early clearing woes to keep the ball within the restraining line and knot the game, 4-4, with 5:11 left on the clock. Less than a minute later the Lazers again took the lead, this time on a free position strike.

Miller tied it up with her second free position goal of the day with 1:24 left in the half. AACC won the ensuing draw and held on the far sidelines to get the last shot. The Riverhawks' patience was rewarded with a free position attempt with less than 30 seconds left in the half. Reitz converted to send the Riverhawks into halftime with a one-goal lead, 6-5.

The lead changed twice early in the third before AACC closed out the quarter by extending the lead back to three, 11-8, with back-to-back goals from Miller and Gownley. The last goal of the stanza started right in front of the Riverhawks cage when defender Tinna Mavica scooped up a slow dribbling shot before it crossed the goal line. Mavica initiated the clear to Miller and eventually Gownley who finished with the transition strike.

AACC capped the run with three goals in the fourth, the final two coming unassisted with the man advantage from Miller.

Onondaga made a late run, scoring three goals in the final nine minutes of the game, but AACC controlled the draw and held the ball to end the threat.

As usual, the Riverhawks dominated the draw, leading 24-5 behind the stick of Reitz, who corralled nine draw controls on the day. Miller and Sokolowski each grabbed five.

Goalkeeper Kaitlyn Evans made 11 saves in the win, including several point-blank shots late in the game.

AACC won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007 under Head Coach Jim Griffiths, who moved to 210-64 after this year's undefeated season, his 20^th at the helm of the Riverhawks program.