Trinity Defeats Skidmore

Junior Madeleine Hardy led the Bantams with three goals against Skidmore.

We travelled to Saratoga Springs on Wednesday night to play non-league opponent Skidmore College. While KP’s pregame talk centered on the words “focus” and “fun”, it took the Bants some time to settle in and play Trinity lacrosse. We scored the first two of the game, with unassisted tallies by Megan and Alisen, but Skidmore rebounded to tie the score at 2 apiece halfway through the first. Madeleine gave us a 4-2 lead by coming off the bench with a focused and determined mindset. She scored two goals in the span of 3 minutes and Hadley chipped in one of her own, giving us a 5-2 advantage at halftime.

Although the defense held Skidmore to only two goals in the first, we were disappointed with our effort and looked to come out in the second with more fire. We focused on winning the 50/50 battles and limiting turnovers, especially unforced turnovers. We had been sloppy with our passing and committed to improving this in the second half. We also focused on using our teammates more and helping out the ball carrier. Rachel, who was face-guarded all game, found the back of the net early in the second for her first point of the game. The goal came off a beautiful cut, with Bruno finding her open in the 8 meter for a nice feed. The reverse happened ten minutes later, as Rachel was fouled just behind the goal and was given possession. She found Bruno cutting into the 8 and Bruno buried the ball.

Madeleine closed out the scoring for the Bantams with her third goal of the game off a free position. Her play was outstanding and brought a high level of intensity to the field. She added a ground ball and a draw control to her three goals (which came off of just 3 shots, for a 100% shooting)! Great job Madeleine.

Mal and Liza led the defense with some great play, coming up with 4 and 3 caused turnovers, respectively. Liv stood tall in goal with 4 saves. We will look to up our game when we see NESCAC opponent Williams in Williamstown, MA on Saturday.

Spring Break Finishes with Exciting Win Over Colby!

The Bantams took on NESCAC rival Colby College in Clermont, Florida last Saturday. After a solid win over Union College on Thursday, we looked to step up our transition game against a feisty and aggressive Colby team. We watched Colby play Union earlier in the week and were expecting a strong team who would pressure us hard in the midfield. Though we knew what to expect, we had a tough time executing our game plan in the opening minutes, with the Mules jumping out to a 4-0 within the first ten minutes. After a Trinity timeout, the Bantams slowly started chipping away at the Colby lead, with senior captains Rachel and Alisen notching the first Trinity tallies of the contest. Megan followed their lead with two of her own, one off a free position, before Rachel capped off the 5-0 Trinity run with her second of the game to take a 5-4 lead. Colby responded with two to take a 6-5 lead into halftime.

Heading into the second half, we looked to tighten up on defense, make smart decisions in transition, and be patient on attack. Though the Mules added two quick tallies to start the half, we settled in and fought back, eliminating the 3 goal deficit. Hadley started the run, with a beautifully placed free position shot. Kaitlin H. followed up with a nice shot off an amazing feed from Alisen. Colby managed to extend the lead back to two, but Hadley added her second of the game before Shea came through with an incredible individual effort. After a Colby save, the Mules looked to transition the ball up field. But the ball was dropped in Colby’s defensive end and a race for the ground ball ensued. Shea was up against two Colby defenders, but used her scrappy and aggressive play to come up with the ground ball. She went straight to cage and beat the goalie with a nicely placed shot to tie the game.

The remaining ten minutes turned into some of the most exciting moments of the season so far. With the game tied at 9-9, Liv came up huge in net, making key saves. The defense was AWESOME at collapsing when the Mules drove to cage. The pressure resulted in blocked and low angle shots by Colby attackers. After another spectacular save by Liv, KP called a timeout with just about 5 minutes remaining. The defense and midfielders successfully worked the ball down field and put it in the hands of trusty Rachel, who knew exactly what she wanted to do. She found Lenny inside the 8 and gave her a perfect feed. With two defenders on her, Lenny found the back of the cage to give the Bantams a 10-9 lead.

With two minutes left, Colby was on attack, looking for the perfect opportunity to tie the game. Liv would stand in their way, though, as she came up with her 7th save of the half to deny Colby. With about 30 seconds left, we rushed to get the ball up field to allow time to run out, but a turnover in the midfield allowed a Colby midfielder to pick up the ball around their defensive 30. She barreled full speed in the other direction while our defense dropped into position. With just 20 seconds remaining on the clock, Bruno stepped up and established her position, with the Colby girl running full speed, resulting in an offensive charge. The caused turnover by Bruno marked her fourth of the game and capped a terrific game for Bruno. She added three ground balls and two draw controls to her four caused turnovers and was paramount in our transition game, attacking the seams and beating Colby players 1 v. 1.

The game was a Total Team Effort (TTE) and we will look to continue and build on the success in our games against Skidmore and Williams this week.


Trinity Defender Liz Bruno










Trinity Goalkeeper Liv Whitney

Player Profile of the Week: Captain Alisen Urquhart

Major: Psychology (minor legal studies)

Year: 2011

Position: Midfield

Uniform #: 15

High School: Joel Barlow High School, Redding Connecticut

Post Trinity Plans: Work at IMG World in NYC

Favorite Sports Quote: I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual is the ultimate champion - Mia Hamm

When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort, it is ready to climb

Favorite Practice Drill: Bantam Drill (GO BLUE)

Why did you choose Trinity? To get a balanced college experience where I could play lacrosse, get a good education and study abroad.

What does Trin Lax mean to you? It means having 25 other girls going through exactly what you are and gving 110% at every practice because it always pays back. Trinity lacrosse means contributing to, and building on a tradition of excellence that those before us have established.

Favorite Trin lax memory? Besides beating Colby in Florida? Making it to the final 8 in NCAA's last year

Any advice for your teammates? Respect each other and it will encourage people work hard, hard work definitely pays off, allow time for fun and don't shoot in red.

Trinity Tops Union, 12-8

The Bantams faced off against the Union College Dutchwomen in a battle of nationally ranked teams while in Clermont, Florida for spring break. The Bants, ranked #6 in the country, were led by senior captains Alisen and Rachel, who scored three goals apiece. We jumped out to an early 6-1 lead thanks to two goals each by Rach and Al, as well as free position tallies from Kaitlin H. and Shea. First-year Kaitlin Reedy recorded her first collegiate point as she fed Alisen a beautiful pass to cap a fast break transition. Good job Reedy!

The Dutchwomen, ranked 17th nationally, would not give up though, as they battled back to within two goals at the half. Down 8-3 with two minutes remaining in the first, Union scored three unanswered goals, the last with only 11 seconds left in the half, to make the score 8-6. Knowing that Union looked to feed and wasn’t afraid to shoot from anywhere, the Bantam defense looked to cut the cutters in the second half, stay tight all the way through the 8 meter, and close doubles. Mal led the defense with 4 caused turnovers, while Emma, Bruno, and Liza chipped in 3 ground balls apiece.

Rachel was a feeding machine, assisting every goal of the second half. She got things started by finding Kaitlin H. just a minute into the period. After some back and forth play without a score, Rachel then found Alisen for Alisen’s third goal of the game to extend the lead to four goals. But Union’s Kristin Joyce found the back of the net for her fourth goal, which was followed by a Union free position goal to pull back within two. However, that was as close as the Dutchwomen would get, as the Bants pulled away with assisted tallies by Megan and Shea. Rachel finished the game with 3 goals and 4 assists for a team leading 7 points. Gina and Liv split time in cage for the Bantams, with Gina picking up a timely ground ball in the first and Liv coming up with 5 saves in the second.

Trinity Bantams Tested Against Bowdoin Polar Bears

Trinity came out flying against NESCAC opponent Bowdoin College, jumping out to an 8-3 lead at the half. Megan got things started for the Bantams just one minute into the contest with a beautiful goal assisted by Rachel. Bowdoin responded with a goal of their own, but the Bantam defense would shut down Bowdoin for the next twenty minutes. The attack took charge, rolling off seven straight to take an 8-1 lead. With Bowdoin playing a backer defense, the Bantams looked to their teammates, with 7 of the 8 goals being assisted efforts. Rachel was awesome on attack, leading the team with three goals and three assists. Megan was also unstoppable, adding two goals and three assists. Alisen, Kaitlin, and Hadley rounded out the scoring for the Bantams while Bruno chipped in an assist. We capitalized on some great cuts, finding the open player inside the 8 meter and giving sharp, crisp feeds. It was so fun to watch all the assisted goals, the attack was truly working as one unit.

The second half was a different story, as Bowdoin stepped up the pressure in the midfield. Though we had beautiful transitions in the first half, Bowdoin adjusted in the second half and trapped us in the defensive third. They slowly chipped away at our lead, but Liv held strong in net. She finished with seven saves and came up with some crucial stops in the second half. It was an exciting finish, as Bowdoin managed to break our stall and was awarded a free position with just seven seconds remaining on the clock. Our defense jumped off the line and came up with an impressive block as time ran off the clock to secure an 8-7 win. While the first half was a great effort, we will look to put together a full 60 minutes of good lacrosse in the future.



Senior Captain Rachel Romanowsky led the Bantams with 3 goals and 3 assists. She was honored as Bantam of the Week for her efforts! Congrats Rachel!

Bantams Beat Endicott on the Road

The Bantams took to the road to play nonconference opponent Endicott College. Kaitlin Hildebrand got things started for the Bantams, scoring Trinity’s first three goals in the opening ten minutes of play, two coming off free position opportunities. Tough play on the defensive end, led by seniors Emma and Kayla, shut down the Endicott attack. On the other end, Megan, Haley, Rachel, Alisen, and Liz Bruno followed Kaitlin’s success, resulting in an 11-3 lead at the half. First-year Shea Kusiak rounded out the first half scoring with her first collegiate goal. Congrats Shea!

The momentum carried into the second half, with Trinity rolling off three more goals courtesy of Megan, Bruno, and Hadley. It was a total team effort, as all the baby Bants got into the game. First-year Midge looked great on defense, coming up with grounds balls and turning them into offensive transitions. The win was capped off by a wonderful tailgate thanks to the parents. Midge celebrated her birthday at the tailgate with a sweet Happy Birthday card from her younger sister and AMAZING birthday cupcakes. Happy birthday Midge!

Alumni Weekend

The current team welcomed back members of the Trinity Women’s Lacrosse family as 13 alumni joined us for a dinner on Saturday night and an alumni game on Sunday morning. It was a very special weekend for all involved, as the alumni cheered on the Bants during the home opener against Connecticut College before joining the team to share stories and advice over dinner. Assistant Coach and Trinity alum Michelle Smith put together a slide show of photos and organized a great dinner at the Smith House on Vernon Street. At the conclusion of the dinner, the alumni, by class, gave a little advice to the current team. We were honored to have the following alums:

Class of ’82, Sally Larkin
Class of ’07, Lauren Malinowski
Class of ’08, CJ Yanofsky, Caroline Boiardi, Michelle Smith, Ellen Cohn
Class of ’09, Kristina Scontras, Carrie Disa, Jessie Schultz
Class of ’10, Jenn Calver, Sarah Remes, Kristin Phelps, Annie Cook

Advice ranged from “Don’t forget your photo I.D. before the spring break trip to Florida” to “Cherish your time as a Trinity College women’s lacrosse player." It was a special night that emphasized the strong tradition of Trinity College women’s lacrosse.

On Sunday, we reconvened for the alumni game, with the alumni showing up in blue and gold with their game faces on, while the team outfitted themselves in all things NEON. We lucked out with a BEAUTIFUL day on the turf and had a great time pitting the team of alums against the current team. It was a close match, with some questionable reffing (cough cough, KP) in favor of the alums. Overall, it was a great success!! Check out the pictures!

Bants Start Season Strong Against Conn!

The Bantams hosted the Connecticut College Camels in the home opener last Saturday afternoon on the Robin L. Sheppard Field. After a productive preseason in which we worked on everything from stick skills and shooting to attack, defense, and transition, the team was ready to put all that practice into action. The Bants looked sharp from the opening draw, taking a commanding 7-1 lead into halftime and finishing the game with a decisive score of 13-5.

While sophomore midfielder Megan Leonhard led the attack with four goals, we were impressed by the balanced scoring, seeing a number of players chipping in with goals and assists. Hadley Duncan opened the scoring on a nice feed from senior captain Rachel Romanowsky. Rachel was a commanding presence in the attacking end, scoring one of her own and adding a second assist to a beautiful quick stick goal by sophomore Haley Thompson. Hadley notched a second goal, while Kaitlin Hildebrand got on the board with two goals and an assist. Juniors Madeleine Hardy and Liz Bruno chipped in a goal apiece, while first-year Lyndsey Shepard scored her first career goal!!! Congrats Lyndsey!

On the defensive end, junior Gina Dinallo and sophomore Liv Whitney split time in goal as the backbone of the Trinity defense. Gina and Liv combined for 8 saves on the game, and Gina picked up a ground ball as well! Megan not only led the team in the attacking end, but was also stellar on defense and in the midfield, picking up a team high six ground balls. Senior captain Alisen Urquhart and junior Liza Beckler each chipped in four ground balls. We were excited to try something new on defense this year and were impressed by the results! We saw some great slides and lots of communication. We will look to carry those positives into our upcoming away games at Endicott on Thursday and NESCAC opponent Bowdoin on Saturday.

Thanks to the parents for providing a wonderful tailgate for the players, coaches, and many alums who were back for the alumni weekend!



Sophomore Megan Leonhard was awarded Bantam of the Week honors for her 4 goal effort. Congrats Lenny!

TRINITY LACROSSE 2011

Welcome to the 2011 Trinity Women’s Lacrosse blog! The 2011 season is finally underway! The team has been working hard for the past three weeks in preparation of our first game. After fitness testing, tryouts, two scrimmage days and some chilly weather, everyone is excited for NESCAC action to get underway on Saturday against Connecticut College.

We are happy to welcome a talented and enthusiastic group of first-years to the team this year. On attack, Shea Kusiak, Liz Heimann, Kimmy Leone, and Kathleen Timmons join the returners led by Captain Rachel Romanowsky. The returning midfield and defense, led by Captain Alisen Urquhart, are joined by newcomers Taylor Godfrey, Lyndsey Shepard, Midge Daniel, and Kaitlin Reedy. A full roster with numbers can be found on our Trinity lacrosse webpage at http://athletics.trincoll.edu/sports/wlax/2010-11/roster.

We were fortunate enough to have a hardworking Buildings and Grounds crew plow our field before the start of the season. Thanks to their help, we have only been limited to the indoor field house for practice once! This is great news as we are able to work on full field transitions, as well as scrimmage (and condition!). We kicked off the season by hosting our annual First Draw Scrimmage Day. We welcomed six other schools to the Robin L. Sheppard Field, including Babson, Wellesley, Middlebury, Amherst, Springfield, and William Smith. We lucked out with a clear, but cold day. It was a great day to work out the kinks with everything we have been practicing.

The next weekend, we travelled to Amherst to scrimmage both Amherst and Williams. After seeing what worked (and what didn’t) from the previous weekend, the team had specific goals in mind for the second scrimmage day. The hard week of practice resulted in some excellent play, both on attack and defense. The three goalies, Gina, Steph, and Liv, came up with some awesome saves. The parents took care of the first tailgate of the year, providing a variety of pizza and a delicious clam chowder. Thanks from the entire team for keeping us so well fed!

We’ve been keeping the team quite busy, as the day following Amherst, we hosted our annual Clinic Day. The Clinic is attended by local middle school and high school girls with varying degrees of lacrosse experience. The team is divided into groups and given an array of tasks, from greeting participants to selling t-shirts to setting up the equipment. When everyone has arrived, the players split up and cover a number of stations, teaching a certain aspect of the game, such as defense (Emma’s favorite) or shooting (Rachel’s specialty). At the end of each session, we wrap up with raffles and prizes. We are always impressed by the number of girls who come back year after year. That is a tribute to the effort and enthusiasm the girls put into coaching and helping the participants. The Clinic helps us raise money for our Florida trip over spring break. With the winter we’ve had, everybody is looking forward to heading south for a week!

We would like to thank all the parents and Trinity lacrosse fans for their support! We are excited about the season ahead and hope to see you at games! For those alumni reading, we are hosting an alumni dinner this Saturday, followed by an alumni game on Sunday. Please contact Michelle Smith at michelle.smith@trincoll.edu if you are interested in participating!