The NCAA News - News and Features

May 25, 1998

Lions work overtime for first-year coach

College of New Jersey sophomore attacker Tiffany Trockenbrod beat Williams goalie Juliane Austin with a high shot into the cage with 2:09 left in the second sudden-death overtime period to lift the Lions to a 12-11 win and the Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship May 17 at UMBC.

The title was the Lions' ninth overall and fifth in the last six years, but the first under rookie coach Jennifer Hart.

"I'm really proud of the team with how hard they fought today," Hart said.

The win enabled the Lions to finish undefeated (15-0) for the sixth time in the last seven years. Last year's squad lost to Middlebury in the championship, 14-9. The Lions have made every championship game since 1991. Since the championship tournament began in 1985, College of New Jersey has made the final every year but 1990, when Ursinus beat St. Lawrence.

Lions junior attacker Fran Constantine garnered tournament most outstanding player honors. She had four goals and an assist in the final, giving her 11 goals in the tournament. Her coach holds the record in that category, having scored 17 in 1996.

"I've never been in the spotlight before, so this is kind of a surprise," Constantine said. "I didn't want it to end like last year when no one stepped up in the championship game, so I took it upon myself to step up."

Williams built a 7-3 first-half lead after Alana Teutonico, who finished the game with four goals for a tournament-high 13, scored with 10:27 left before intermission. The Lions roared back with four straight goals to tie the game two minutes into the second half and finally claimed the lead when Jessica McCourt scored with 7:08 left.

Williams' Lauren Gioia tied the contest with her team-high fifth goal of the game, but the Lions regained the lead on Dana Latona's free-position shot with 3:45 remaining. The Ephs were not yet finished, though, as Cara Shortsleeve tied the game with a fast-break goal with 1:46 left in regulation.

The Ephs, who were appearing in their first tournament, had two potential game-winning shots in the last 12 seconds of regulation, but goalie Sharon Vitulli, who had replaced starter Heather Whalin in the first half when the Lions were down, 7-5, snuffed both, setting up Trockenbrod's sudden-death game-winner.

Williams finished the season with a 14-2 record.

The Lions' Jennifer Maholland repeated on the all-tournament team. She was joined by teammates Constantine, Whalin and Kate Atwell. Other members of the squad included Teutonico, Gioia, Caroline Nesbit and Christina Eide of Williams, Sarah Bamberger and Sue Ketcham of Hartwick, and Amity Wall and Heidi Howard of Middlebury.

College of New Jersey also won its semifinal game by a single goal, downing defending champion Middlebury, 12-11. Constantine had three goals and an assist. The top-seeded Lions led 12-9 with 4:22 remaining, but the Panthers rallied to pull within one goal, 12-11, with 47 seconds left on Lina Chickering's fourth goal of the contest. Middlebury finished the year 14-3.

Williams came from behind to beat Hartwick, 14-10, in the other semifinal. The Ephs were down, 4-1, in the first half but were able to run off four unanswered goals to take a 5-4 lead by half time. Williams' largest second-half lead was 10-4. Hartwick finished the season 18-4, having advanced to the semifinals for the first time.

SEMIFINALS

Hartwick -- 4 -- 6--10

Williams -- 5 -- 9--14

Hartwick scoring: Kate Stoehr 3, Holly Hoffay 3, Sarah Bamberger 3, Adrienne Spinozzi 1.

Williams scoring: Alana Teutonico 6, Lauren Gioia 3, Meghan Cleary 1, Sarah Roth 1, Caroline Nesbit 1, Christina Eide 1, Michelle Kovacs 1.

Shots: Hartwick 20, Williams 36. Saves: Hartwick--Sue Ketcham 16; Williams--Juliane Austin 5.

Middlebury -- 3 -- 8--11

Col. of New Jersey -- 6 -- 6--12

Middlebury scoring: Amity Wall 5, Lina Chickering 4, Katherine Rodormer 1, Wendy Hession 1.

Col. of New Jersey scoring: Fran Constantine 3, Valerie Cherill 2, Emily Fellona 2, Jessica McCourt 2, Dayna Mennen 1, Tiffany Trockenbrod 1, Dana Latona 1.

Shots: Middlebury 35, Col. of New Jersey 23. Saves: Middlebury--Emily Bracken 10; Col. of New Jersey-- Heather Whalin 18.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Williams -- 7 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0--11

Col. of New Jersey -- 5 -- 6 -- 0 -- 1--12

Col. of New Jersey scoring: Fran Constantine 4, Tiffany Trockenbrod 2, Jessica McCourt 2, Emily Fellona 1, Megan Tropp 1, Alanna Cini 1, Dana Latona 1.

Williams: Lauren Gioia 5, Alana Teutonico 4, Sarah Roth, Cara Shortsleeve.

Shots: Williams 39, Col. of New Jersey 29. Saves: Williams--Juliane Austin 15; Col. of New Jersey--Heather Whalin 6, Sharon Vitulli 13.