All good things must come to an end — even for Middlebury women’s lacrosse.
The Panthers had been on an unprecedented 67-game win streak until a loss last Saturday to fifth-seeded Wesleyan University in the NESCAC semifinals at home. Now, having secured a bid to the NCAA round on Monday, the team is still in the race for what could be their fourth straight national championship.
The spring 2025 season has been a capstone for many players on the team who have built one of Middlebury Athletics’ most successful programs in recent memory. Multiple players have broken decades-old records this year, while the team has squeezed out several close victories – including a 16–15 game on April 16 against their national rival Tufts University, who was NCAA runner-up last year.
“Our Tufts game on Senior Day was definitely a highlight of the season so far. I think a lot of things didn’t go the way we wanted to this past weekend, but we’re really excited for what’s to come,” said Hope Shue ’25, co-captain of the team.
Fellow captain Grace Mumford ’25 agreed that the Tufts game was a great victory, adding that it showed how women’s lacrosse is capable of pulling out a win when facing difficult opponents.
“My highlight was definitely Tufts, rallying and gaining our confidence back and working together to really learn from that moment. It was definitely our best game this season in terms of how we played,” Mumford said.
That ability to bounce back will be especially important as Middlebury looks toward the upcoming NCAA tournament that will make or break its championship dreams following the surprise loss to Wesleyan — the team’s first defeat since 2022.
Last weekend’s game got off to a messy start before anyone took the field: April showers have only brought more May showers this year, leaving Peter Kohn Field a veritable slip-’n-slide by the time the Panthers and Cardinals began to duke it out in the semifinal.
Just 40 seconds into the game, Caroline Adams ’26 put the first point on the board with a strong opening volley, followed by goals from Hope Shue ’25 and Skyler Lach ’26 that left Middlebury ahead 4–3 after the first quarter. However, Wesleyan surged in the second quarter, scoring four goals in a row and forcing Middlebury to scramble to respond. Adams and Anna Spehr ’25 answered Wesleyan’s volleys to narrow the deficit to 7–6 at the half.
In the game’s second act, the Cardinals soared and never surrendered the lead, despite valiant efforts from goalie Elizabeth Savage ’27 and smartly placed shots from offensive players Kate Motley ’27 and Caroline Messer ’26.
“We missed some key opportunities, had some unforced turnovers and did not do as well in the draw as we normally are used to doing,” Shue explained. “I still think there was a lot to be proud of in the game. I think people stepped up in really important ways — there were great plays from our defense.”
Reflecting on the game, Mumford added that the experience will be valuable as they move on to compete against some of the best schools in the nation next week.
“We haven't been in this situation in a long time in which every mistake matters that costs us because we've had such large margins,” Mumford said. “We’re still competitive and we still have drives, but we just have to value the ball a little bit more.”
Despite Saturday’s loss, the past several games have also marked individual milestones for several members of the women’s team. Co-captain Kylie Wilson ’25 set a new school record for most caused turnovers, racking up three such plays against Wesleyan and bringing her career total to 112. Last month, NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year Shue set a new record for career goals, toppling the previous score set over 25 years ago; in a game against Williams College, Adams broke the 2018 record for career draw controls.
The Panthers clearly have the roster and expertise to win another national championship, but they will have to hit the road over the next three weeks to earn that title.
“I think now it's going to be important to hone in on what our identity is and what our strong suit is going to be. I think Saturday was a great test run, I think we're going to use it as fuel,” Wilson said.
Before heading to her first post-Wesleyan practice on Monday, Mumford agreed that this loss would only strengthen their drive to win a national title.
“I think it’s important, reminding everybody that it takes hard work to win, and we’ve played well so far but it's just going to take a lot more hard work to get us where we want to go,” Mumford added.
Although a loss at home hit hard, no one should count Middlebury out just yet. The team has a bye for the first round of the NCAA, but on May 11 at 1 p.m. the Panthers will be back on the prowl, facing the winner of Ithaca College versus State University of New York at Oswego.
All three co-captains said they are itching to get back on the field and show the country — and themselves — that Middlebury has what it takes to win.
“Only the seniors on our team have ever lost a game before, so I think it was really important to have that experience,” Shue said. “It’s important to know we are not invincible and we really need to work very hard to become the team that we want to be to win another national championship.”
Middlebury is still an odds-on favorite to reach Salem, Va., where the final four teams will battle for the national conference crown on May 23–25. It will be a fight to the finish, not a coronation, but one thing is certain: the Panthers will leave it all on the field in pursuit of NCAA glory.
Ryan McElroy '25 (he/him) is the Editor in Chief.
Ryan has previously served as a Managing Editor, News Editor and Staff Writer. He is majoring in history with a minor in art history. Outside of The Campus, he is co-captain of Middlebury Mock Trial and previously worked as Head Advising Fellow for Matriculate and a research assistant in the History department. Last summer Ryan interned as a global risk analyst at a bank in Charlotte, North Carolina.
