Denison Women's Lacrosse Earns NCAA Third Round Victory

LANCASTER, PA - No. 20 national-ranked Denison women’s lacrosse staged a thrilling comeback in the third round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday, erasing a five-goal deficit to defeat No. 5 Franklin & Marshall, 16-15, in a dramatic, back-and-forth battle.

The Big Red move on to the quarterfinals to face the winner of No. 6 Gettysburg vs. No. 9 Washington and Lee on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. This is the first time since 2021 that Denison has advanced into the round of eight.
 
DENISON 16, FRANKLIN & MARSHALL 15
  • Denison women’s lacrosse delivered a resilient team performance in the third round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Sunday, rallying from a five-goal deficit to earn a thrilling 16-15 victory over Franklin & Marshall.
  • The Big Red fell behind early, trailing 3-0 within the first six minutes, but senior Anna DeVuono (Devon, PA/Conestoga) sparked Denison’s response with an unassisted goal midway through the first quarter. Less than 20 seconds later, junior Madison Goldstein (Lutherville, MD/Roland Park County School) followed with a goal assisted by sophomore Sophie Davenport (Chatham Township, NJ/Chatham), cutting the F&M lead to one. Goals from first-year Maddie Chase (The Moses Brown School) and junior Sydney Lavin (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) helped Denison stay within striking distance as the opening period ended with F&M ahead, 6-4.
  • Denison found its rhythm in the second quarter, responding to a 10-5 deficit with a six-goal explosion to take an 11-10 lead by halftime. The run included goals from five different Big Red players, starting with first-year MK Barnhart (The Hill School), junior Grayson O’Marra (Bethesda, MD/Bethesda Chevy Chase) and senior Caroline Brooks (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) all netting unassisted strikes. Davenport then assisted on a man-up goal by junior Mary Martinson (Concord, NH/Concord), who later added a second goal off a feed from O’Marra. DeVuono tied the game at 10, while Martinson’s second goal with 27 seconds left gave Denison its first lead of the game.
  • The back-and-forth continued in the third quarter. Lavin notched her second goal early in the period, but three unanswered goals from F&M swung the lead back in their favor, 13-12. Denison responded again, with Davenport converting a man-up goal assisted by Brooks to tie the game at 13 heading into the final frame.
  • In the fourth quarter, F&M regained a 15-13 lead, but Denison refused to back down. Lavin, who was a constant offensive threat, struck twice, first off an assist from DeVuono and then on a solo effort, to knot the score at 15-15. DeVuono, who was instrumental throughout, delivered the game-winner with 5:20 remaining on a man-up free-position opportunity, capping a four-goal, one-assist performance.
  • Lavin and DeVuono led Denison with four goals apiece, while DeVuono finished with five points (4 goals, 1 assist). Brooks, Davenport, Martinson and O'Marra each added multiple points in a true team effort.
  • Denison's comeback was fueled by disciplined offense and timely defensive stops in the final minutes, as Julianne Henigan (South Orange, NJ/Columbia) denied F&M a late equalizer with just 1:50 remaining in regulation to seal the comeback win. Overall, the keeper made 14 saves between the posts.

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