MCLA Women's Lax Team Wins Program's First Home Game
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- The nascent MCLA women's lacrosse team achieved two milestones on Tuesday afternoon: winning its first ever overtime game and its first ever home game.
If Mother Nature cooperates, the Trailblazers might even have another first this spring: their first game on their own field.
"We're not sure yet how many games we're going to play [at Williams] just because our field is covered in snow," MCLA junior and Hoosac Valley graduate Kaitlyn Brown of Adams said. "We're going to be all over the place for games.
"I hope it melts. This being cold and hot doesn't work -- at least not in our favor."
Not that Brown -- or anyone else in blue and gold -- was complaining. She is just happy to have a chance to have a team to play on and a chance to get the program started.
Actually, it is her second chance to start a program. She did the same thing with the Hurricanes.
"I was a freshman, and [current MCLA head coach Maria] Bartini was my coach my freshman year all the way to senior year there," Brown said. "So we pulled that together."
And after one year as a club team, Bartini and the Trailblazers are putting together a varsity program.
"It's awesome," Brown said. "I missed it a lot. It's fun playing on a team again."
MCLA is 2-2 heading into Saturday's home date against Mass Maritime Academy. The Blazers have five more home games on the schedule, including two games against Massachusetts Small College Athletic Conference foes: Worcester State on April 14 and Fitchburg State on April 22.
On Tuesday, sophomore Natalie Caney of Belchertown led the way offensively with seven goals, including the game-winner in OT.
Brown scored five times on eight shots, and Pittsfield's Leah Sullivan and Adams' Tanelle Ciempa each had a ground ball.
The Blazers went to half-time tied 6-6 and led for most of the second half after scoring three out of four goals to take a 9-7 lead.
But the Gators (0-3) rallied, taking leads at 11-10 and 13-12. Mackenzie Cutler scored off an assist from Erin McNulty to tie the game with 1 minute, 37 seconds left in regulation.
In the six-minute OT, MCLA got two goals each from Caney and Brown and a goal from Cutler to seal the win. Alexandra David was credited with 10 saves in the win.
"We played awesome," Brown said. "We stayed together and just pulled through it."
