ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's lacrosse team (8-3, 4-2 Patriot League, 2-2 PL South) earned a spot in the 2021 Patriot League Tournament with a 14-8 victory over Bucknell (3-6, 3-5 Patriot League, 1-3 PL South) on Friday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
 
With the win, the Midshipmen earned the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League South Division and will travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to take on Lehigh (7-3, 6-1 Patriot League, 3-1 PL South) on Monday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
 
"There couldn't be a better situation to be at home playing against Bucknell for an opportunity to 'win and advance'," head coach Cindy Timchal said after the game. "It was the last regular season game and we brought a lot of good energy. Bucknell was tough for us for a good part of the game. Very physical and we respect them and what they brought today. The excitement of fan appreciation, the electricity of the stadium, and our staff. Finally, the best part of Navy Women's Lacrosse is the players. They are the ones who put it on the line stepping out onto that field. They are the ones who are brave, strong, love each other. Things are never perfect for Navy Women's Lacrosse, but it is our brand of being tough and playing all the way through."
 
Offensively, Navy had seven players combine to net 14 goals on the day, including six players who finished with multiple goals. Reagan Roelofs (Apple Valley, Minn.) finished with a team-high three goals to notch her first hat trick of the season and the eighth of her career. Lindsay Beardmore (Annapolis, Md.), Gil Eby (Towson, Md.), Marina Lazarides (Westminster, Md.), Karoline Nease (Richmond, Va.), and Nicole Victory (Issaquah, Wash.) each added two scores apiece, while Grace Zagaja (Centerport, N.Y.) also found the back of the net. Beardmore and Nease led the team with two assists apiece, giving the duo a team-best four points each.
 
Roelofs won 11 of Navy's 14 draw controls on the night. It was the junior's 11th double-digit draw performance of her 38-game career and the fifth for her this season.
 
Defensively, the Midshipmen caused eight of the Bison's 20 turnovers on the night. Christine Fiore (Darien, Conn.) paced the team with career-high three caused turnovers in the game. Fiore and Eby led the team with three ground balls apiece, while Caroline Kwon (Cooksville, Md.) and Jo Torres (Prince Frederick, Md.) picked up two GB each.
 
Torres earned the victory on the night. The freshman entered the game in relief, working 36:19 between the pipes, recording seven saves, while allowing three goals. She substituted in for Abbi Young (Alamo, Calif.) who earned the start on the night, finishing with four goals allowed in 18:30. Annie Maloney (Ellicott City, Md.) worked the final five minutes, surrendering a goal in the final seconds.
 
For the first 18 minutes of the game, the two teams traded goals. The first 18 minutes was highlighted by a pair of goals and an assist by Beardmore, giving the freshman three early points.
 
Trailing 4-3, Navy responded with six straight goals to close out the half take control of the game. Eby converted a free-position goal to open the run. Lazarides and Nease followed with back-to-back scores. Eby notched her second goal off of a Nease assist to continue the run. Nease followed with her second goal and had the helper on Lazarides' second score of the game to put Navy in front 9-4 at halftime.
 
In the second half, the Bison used a pair of goals to trim the margin to 9-6, but Navy countered with five of the next six scores to put the game out of reach. Victory started the 5-1 run with her second goal of the night, while Roelofs followed, finding the back of the cage for her first goal. Zagaja pushed the advantage to 12-6 before a Bucknell score. Roelofs scored on a pair of free-position opportunities to give the Midshipmen a 14-7 advantage. With 15 ticks on the clock, the Bison snuck a ball past the keeper to provide the final margin, 14-8.
 
Navy returns to action on Monday afternoon as the Midshipmen travel to Bethlehem, Pa. for the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinals against Lehigh. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.