Box Score

Athletes are taught, despite the score, to always leave it all on the field.

There was no better example of that than what the fourth-seeded Muhlenberg women's lacrosse team showed in its Centennial Conference playoff game against fifth-seeded Haverford.

Digging themselves a 10-goal hole in the first half, the Mules scratched and clawed their way back, making it a close game down the stretch. Muhlenberg scored seven straight goals over a span of nearly 17 minutes in the second half, but the last gasp wasn't enough, as the Fords held on for a 15-12 win and a spot in the CC semifinals.

"I think our team has that inner fight. We came out in the second half and we knew if we didn't give it all for 30 minutes we were going to go out with a negative feeling. Everyone played hard in the second half and it was awesome," senior attack Kayleigh Thies said.

"I think we realized that the game wasn't over yet. There was still time; and we had so much fight left in us, we were ready to leave our hearts on the field," fellow senior Christina Vittorio said.

The second-half scoring barrage started with a Kelsey Nagle free position goal 1:51 into the second. Stephanie Umbach, who netted a game-high five goals, was held scoreless until there was 16:24 to go in the game when she shot into an empty net to make it 13-6.  More goals from Sarah McTamany, Jordy Bonvini, Nora Fisher and Umbach made it 14-12 with 3:56 to play, but that would be as close as the home team would get.

"Momentum wise, those goals gave us a huge push. I think that in a game like that, whoever scores the goals doesn't matter. It's not who scores them; it's the fact that they are going in. We get excited for everyone who scores and everyone who assists and everyone is excited and pumped up," Thies said.

Defensively, the Mules (9-7) turned up the intensity in the second half and that allowed them to make the big comeback. Reserve goalie Sara Allison made 10 saves, while Vittorio scooped up a game-high three ground balls as the D held the Fords (11-7) scoreless for an 18-minute stretch in the second half.

"We started pressuring out on the ball harder and we also weren't allowing people to catch the ball. We were fed up with the way we played in the first half and had such adrenaline in the second half. We thought 'let's go. Let's do this,'" Vittorio said.

McTamany, a senior, tallied four points in her final game as a Mule. Umbach added to her CC record of draw controls with seven more, a game high.

The can't-quit attitude the Mules showed Wednesday was a testament to the senior class - McTamany (pictured at left), Thies, Umbach, Vittorio, Alexandra Oberle (pictured above) and Allie Califano - who, despite a loss, can still exit the field with their heads held high with a hard-fought performance.

"I think that it's really great to walk out as a senior knowing that your team will fight for you and your class. We feel we've passed down these lessons and we're ready to see what the team can do next year," Thies said.

"I'm just really proud of the team that we fought like hell for each other," Vittorio said.