The Middlebury women's lacrosse team defeated #24 Trinity College 10-4 on Saturday, Mar. 14 at Peter Kohn Field. With the win, the Panthers maintain their spot at the top of the national rankings and improve their record to 5–0.
Expectations are high for a team that has won the last five national titles. But with a roster that saw 14 players graduate in the spring of 2025, roles need to be filled, and pressure needs to be managed to replicate their national success.
“We try to give our players grace in moments so that they're not feeling compounding pressure and just look at their moments to learn,” head coach Kate Livesay ’03 said. “We hope that those lessons add up as we go through the season.”
“I think for us, we're always managing that expectation,” Livesay added. “We win by staying really present and just preparing for who's next.”
Middlebury opened the score with just over three minutes played. Maddie Ackerman’s ’27 quick stick found the back of the net, assisted by Caroline Adams ’26. Two minutes later, Adams assisted again, setting up Siobhan Colin ’28 for a spinning finish. Adams herself scored the Panthers’ third goal, darting down the left channel and tucking the ball into the back of the net.
Trinity opened their tally two minutes into the second period. Yet the Panthers responded just 57 seconds later, pushing the advantage back to three. This time, it was Adams and Skylar Lach ’26 who combined for the goal. Middlebury maintained the pressure, as Haley Hamilton ’26 won the draw, orienting the Panthers back on the attack. Colin then made it 5-1, ripping her shot into the right side of the goal.
The Bantams got another one back, firing a bouncing shot into the goal. Middlebury responded once more, a little less than two minutes before the break. Maeve Lee’s ’28 shot found the back of the net, assisted by Lach from behind the net. The Panthers held a comfortable 6-2 lead heading into the break.
Middlebury kept up its momentum in the third period, putting the game all but out of reach. Adams scored from a free-position — the result of a Trinity foul — three minutes into the restart. Trinity closed the gap to four goals before the Panthers piled on two more. Hamilton fired home from the right flank for her 18th goal of the campaign, before Adams won the draw, charged down the field and put the ball past the Bantams’ goalie to complete her hat-trick. The goals came just 13 seconds apart from one another.
Colin completed her hat trick just under 90 seconds into the final period, pushing the advantage to 10-3. Trinity was awarded a free-position shot three minutes later, converting the penalty for their fourth score of the game. The visitors pressed hard to close the deficit, but Middlebury’s defense held fast, and Elizabeth Savage ’27 completed her first full game in goal with a handful of crucial stops.
Adams’ eight points (three goals, five assists) were a career high, and Colin tallied her first hat trick as a Panther. Savage notched a season-best seven saves, and the Panthers stayed on the attack for most of the first half thanks to a stellar midfield showing and Caroline Messer’s career-high five forced turnovers. The Panthers also dominated on draw controls, winning 14-2.
Adams chalks up the team’s success in draws to the work they put in at the gym, where they focus on wrist strength and quickness. “We are so fortunate to have our coach, Amy Patton, who knows so much about technique and strategy, helping us at every step,” Adams said. “When it comes time for the game, all the hay is in the barn.”
“[Forcing turnovers and winning draws] allowed us to have a few mistakes but feel good about the way that things were going and getting second chances on offense because we were working so hard to win the ball back,” Livesay reflected.
Trinity is always a special matchup for Livesay, who coached the Bantams before returning to Middlebury. During her time in Hartford, Livesay led the Bantams to two conference titles and a national title. She remains the winningest coach in Trinity History.
“I really love and respect their coach, so it is a super special matchup,” Livesay said. “But I always really want to do well against them, and I'm happy that we did.”
Thie Harthono '28 (he/him) is a Sports Editor.
Thie is majoring in Political Science. On campus, he serves as a Peer Writing Tutor. He spent the summer as a Press Intern at the United States Senate.
