Posted: May 14, 2022
-- Story provided by Saint Mary's College Athletics --
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team is set to make the program's second consecutive appareance in the NCAA Division III Championship this week at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. The Belles are set to face Catholic University in an NCAA First Round clash. It is the first meeting for the two programs. The winner of the first round contest will take on host Denison on Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 p.m.
First Round Game Details
- No. 14 Catholic University (13-4) vs. Saint Mary's College (11-6)
- Saturday, May 14 - 2:00 p.m. EDT
- Hosted by Denison University
- Deeds Field-Piper Stadium
- Granville, Ohio
- Live Stats
- Video
- Tickets - $8 for adults, $5 for students
- NCAA.com Information
- NCAA Bracket
How the Belles Arrived in Ohio
A wild finish in the MIAA regular season led to a three-way tie for second place in the standings between Hope, Trine, and Saint Mary's. The league's tiebreaker formula led to the Belles being named the second-seed for the conference tournament. Saint Mary's used a shutout fourth quarter in the semifinal round to defeat Hope for a second time this spring in a 16-13 final. The Belles then outscored Trine 8-0 in the third quarter en route to the team's second MIAA Tournament title in as many years with a 19-15 victory in the championship.
The Belles make their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with this year's event.
How the Cardinals Arrived in Ohio
Catholic won the regular season title in the Landmark Conference after a 6-0 record in league play. The Cardinals defeated Drew 16-9 in a conference tournament semifinal on their home field. Catholic then captured an automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament with a nail-biting 11-10 win over Scranton in the Landmark Conference championship game. The No. 14 ranked Cardinals carry a 10-game winning streak into the contest with all four of their regular season losses coming against Top 25 ranked programs.
It is Catholic's 13th appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship.
Who to Watch
Saint Mary's Key Players (stat leaders and all-conference selections)
- Bridget Kane
- Leads team in goals (53), assists (38), points (91), and draw controls (73)
- Second on team in ground balls (65); third in caused turnovers (23)
- All-MIAA First Team
- Two-time MIAA Offensive Player of the Week
- Gabby Belsito
- Second on the team in assists (28) and points (70)
- Third in goals (42); tied for fifth on team in ground balls (40)
- Single-season career-highs in every statistical category
- All-MIAA Second Team
- Katie Haas
- Second on the team in goals (47) and caused turnovers (26); tied for second in draw controls (61)
- Third in ground balls (56), fourth in points (53), and tied for fourth in assists (6)
- MIAA Offensive Player of the Week
- Erin Dotson
- Tied for second on the team in draw controls (61)
- Third on the team in assists (16) and points (57); fourth in goals (41); tied for fifth in ground balls (40)
- All-MIAA Second Team
- Sarah Frick
- Fourth on the team in draw controls (43) after moving from defense to midfield
- Sixth in points (27) with first 20+ goal season of career
- MIAA Defensive Player of the Week
- Valentina Rubio
- Leads team in both ground balls (65) and caused turnovers (39)
- MIAA Defensive Player of the Week
- All-MIAA First Team
Catholic Key Players (stat leaders and all-conference selections)
- Caroline Beckett
- Leads the team in assists (45) and points (71)
- Third in goals (26)
- All-Landmark Conference First Team
- Kate Olsen
- Leads the team in goals (50)
- Second in points (63); tied for second in assists (13)
- All-Landmark Conference First Team
- Rachel Rubenstein
- Leads team in ground balls (54) and caused turnovers (34)
- Tied for third in draw controls (33)
- All-Landmark Conference First Team
- Clare Richards
- Tied for team lead in draw controls (50)
- Tied for fourth in goals (17); sixth in points (17)
- All-Landmark Conference First Team
- Anna Maupin
- Tied for team lead in draw controls (50)
- Tied for second in assists (13); fourth in points (30); tied for fourth in goals (17)
- All-Landmark Conference Second Team
