Then host and top-seeded American totally took over. The Eagles started winning all the draws, dominating possession and scoring goals in rapid succession.
Lauren Aksionoff and Lauren Lane led the way as American scored seven goals in less than 7½ minutes to stun fourth-seeded Navy 17-15 at the William I. Jacobs Recreational Complex.

Aksionoff scored two of her three goals down the stretch while Lane had both of hers during the surge. Backup goalie Frankie Solomon made two crucial saves to spark the rally, which lifted American into tomorrow’s championship game against second-seeded Colgate.

“Our girls showed a lot of character. They were able to dig as deep as they needed to go,” American coach Katie Woods said. “Our backup keeper came in and made a couple huge saves that changed the momentum. We won some draws, scored some goals and our girls started to believe.”

Jackie Lane and Brittany Finnegan also scored three goals for the Eagles (8-9), who trailed by five goals at three different points in the game.

“This is a tough loss. Hats off to American for showing resiliency and being as tough as they were down the stretch,” Navy head coach Cindy Timchal said. “Lacrosse is a game of momentum shifts. We got the lead by winning draws and we gave up the lead by losing draws.”

Freshman midfielder Meg Decker equaled a Patriot League Tournament record by scoring six goals for Navy (13-4), which jumped out to a 3-0 lead and led 10-5 late in the first half.

“In the first half, everything was clicking. In the second half, there was a sense of urgency and it made us nervous,” Decker said. “We played with a lot of heart today and gave it everything we had. We played a good game, but they just played better.”

Sophomore midfielder Amanda Makoid scored two goals during a 3-0 as American reduced its final five-goal deficit to 12-10 with 14:34 remaining in the game. Decker halted the run with a fastbreak goal then Erin Rawlick scored unassisted directly off the draw and Mary Ruttum finished a nice feed from Amanda Towey as the Midshipmen rebuilt the lead to 15-10.

American has the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year in Kristine Vida, but Woods made a surprising move by yanking her with 12:37 to go. Solomon entered and immediately stuffed Rawlick on consecutive shots to prevent Navy from increasing its five-goal lead. That is when everything fell apart for the visiting Mids.

Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Jackie Lane began controlling the draws and American took advantage. Askionoff started the comeback with a free position shot at the 9:40 mark and the Eagles then scored five goals in the span of two minutes as the Mids watched their seemingly comfortable lead evaporate.
Gina Ibello netted the go-ahead goal at the 4:16 mark, firing in a point-blank shot off an assist from Makoid. Lauren Lane gave the Eagles a two-goal cushion by finishing a free position shot with 2:20 to go.

Timchal was clearly upset about some controversial calls in the final 10 minutes, but declined comment afterward due to Patriot League rules against criticizing officials. American was awarded several free position attempts and possession on two draws due to questionable fouls on Navy.

“I thought we played some good defense and were poised to get some stops, but they kept putting them on the eight-meter line,” Timchal said. “It was frustrating because we really needed possession and we just couldn’t get it.”
Despite the disappointing finish, it was a wildly successful season for Navy, which set an NCAA record for wins by a first-year varsity program. The Midshipmen, whose roster consists of 23 sophomores or freshmen, went 11-0 at home.

“You’re never satisfied, you always want more, but I think people saw how tough this team can be,” Timchal said.

Navy (13-4) 10-5=15
American (8-9) 6-11=17
GOALS: N - Decker 6, Rawlick 3, Ruttum 3, Nietsch 2, Towey. A - Aksionoff 3, J. Lane 3, Finnegan 3, Makoid 2, L. Lane 2, Ibello 2, Sonberg, Fischer. ASSISTS: N - Mandrin Hill, Towey, Rawlick. A - Makoid 3, Sonberg 2, Ferguson, Ibello, Person. SHOTS: N - 31. A - 38. SAVES: N - Blandon 13. A - Vida 7, Solomon 2. DRAWS: A - 15. N - 19. GROUND BALLS: N - 23. A - 26.