SMITHFIELD, R.I.  (May 7, 2021) – For the second consecutive year, Mount St. Mary's women's lacrosse heads to the NCAA Tournament following a 15-13 victory over Bryant in the Northeast Conference Championship.
 
Sparked by the tremendous effort of Dani Donoghue, who scored seven goals on 10 shots, the Mount converted more than 50 percent of their shots at the net (15-for-27). Goalkeeper Madison Bradley earned the victory thanks to 15 saves. Multi-goal efforts also came from midfielder Zoe Hurlburt and attacker Erin Anderson.
 
Donoghue's seven for the game brought her tournament total to 11, which set a NEC Tournament record. The mark beat the previous total of 10, set by Ashley Staines of UMBC in 2000. Four Mountaineers received All-Tournament honors - Donoghue (MVP), Bradley, Abigail Zeigenfuse, and Margaret Lonergan. The title is the fourth in Mount St. Mary's history as a conference member, joining the 2004, 2005 and 2021 squads.
 
"I'm overjoyed and really proud of this group!" Head Coach Lauren Skellchock said postgame. "Dani took over the game for us offensively. This team just believed all season. The last two months have been hard in terms of us preparing. We were very prepared for this moment, and we stuck to the gameplan and played great defense. [Madison Bradley] had 14 saves, our offense was so poised and under control being on the road. A great, collective team effort won it today."
 
Bryant, hosting as the top overall seed, earned the early game advantage. Anderson struck for her first goal to get the Mount on the board at the 7:04 mark of the first quarter. Bryant persisted, building a 4-1 lead before Hurlburt fired one home in the closing seconds. The milestone scores – Anderson 30^th and Hurlburt 50^th of the year – helped the Mount keep within striking distance at 4-2 Bulldogs.
 
A penalty and free position attempt allowed Donoghue to register her first goal to make to 4-3 Bryant in the opening moments of the second period. The hat trick came quick for the junior from New Jersey, with back-to-back scores across nine seconds to secure a 5-5 tie. After a quiet stretch on offense for both sides, Anderson scored to give the Mountaineers their first lead. Each side traded one point for a 7-6 Mount halftime edge.
 
The third quarter saw the Mount take control. Four different players – Hurlburt, Christina Haspert, Alayna Pagnotta and Beanie Colson – all found the back of the net. Bradley and the defensive core held firm, allowing a single Bulldogs goal over the entire 15 minutes. The result was a commanding 11-7 lead for the visitors as the final quarter approached.
 
But with victory in the Mount's sight and eluding Bryant's grasp, the Bulldogs unleashed a rapid rally to keep their hopes alive. Within two and a half minutes, the four-goal lead diminished to one. The sides traded turnovers, followed by a Bryant save that set up Margaret Adams, who tied the score at the 9:26 mark. A cat-and-mouse scenario ensued as the Mount would score and Bryant would answer. Donoghue netted both goals, with the first coming on an assist from Jordan Groover. With 4:15 remaining, Bryant's Emily Diaz locked the score again at 13.  
 
Clearing the next possession, the Mount drew a free position attempt with 3:08 on the clock. Hurlburt converted the shot for a 14-13 score. Donoghue fed the draw control to Groover, and the Mountaineers controlled the draw. Working up field, Donoghue took a pass from Molly Molchanoff and lulled the Bryant defender to sleep for the insurance goal. Two opportunities for the Bulldogs resulted in a save from Bradley and a turnover caused by Colson, securing the win.
 
Building a 15-4 record (7-1 NEC), the Mount learns their destination Sunday night (May 8) at 9 p.m., with the NCAA Selection Show airing on ESPNU.