For the second year in a row, the number 13 is a lucky one for the Muhlenberg women's lacrosse team.

Last spring, the Mules set a school record with their 13th win in the ECAC championship game. This season, win No. 13 put Muhlenberg into the semifinals of the Centennial Conference playoffs.

The Mules (13-2, 7-1) defeated Ursinus, 14-7, in their last scheduled home game to tie the school record for wins and clinch a CC playoff berth. They also secured a first-round bye.

With one game left in the regular season, Muhlenberg – ranked ninth in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the NCAA – is in a three-way tie with Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall for first place in the CC. The Mules travel to F&M (sixth in the region) on Saturday with a chance to clinch the top seed for the playoffs with a win. If the Diplomats win, Gettysburg (first in the region) can land the top seed with a home win against Washington College.

The playoff berth is the fifth for the Mules in their history, and the third in the last four years. Muhlenberg earned a first-round bye once before, in 2009.

Three players scored hat tricks for the Mules, with senior Stephanie D'Ascoli netting a game-high four goals. Junior Jordy Bonvini and sophomore Amanda Tullo scored three goals apiece, and senior Kelsey Nagle recorded five assists.

In addition to her ninth consecutive hat trick, Bonvini controlled 11 draws to break the school record for draw controls in a season. She finished the game with a season total of 115, topping the old mark of 112.

Senior Sara Allison made six saves and intercepted three passes.

Muhlenberg scored the first three goals of the game and led 6-3 at the half, then took command early in the second half with a run of three goals in 29 seconds.

Freshman Emma Charron started the surge by scoring off a pass from Nagle. Freshman Gabriella Crivelli controlled the ensuing draw and passed off to Bonvini, who fed Tullo for a goal just 18 seconds later. Bonvini won the next draw and went right to goal, burying her shot to make it 9-3 Muhlenberg with 4:12 elapsed in the second half.

The Bears (7-8, 4-4), who are in the hunt for a playoff spot themselves, never got closer than five goals the rest of the way.

Sophomore Erin Duca notched her first assist of the season, feeding junior Eliza Clark on the goal that gave Muhlenberg its biggest lead, 12-4. 

Sophomore Caroline Dolan (pictured above) finished with four draw controls, three ground balls and two caused turnovers.