Clemson Lacrosse Defeats Navy For First NCAA Tournament Win

Clemson Women's Lacrosse moves on to the next round.

Clemson Lacrosse made its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, facing Navy in Chapel Hill. The Tigers previously defeated Duke 15-7 in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The victory marked the second top-10 win of the year for the Tigers and set a record for wins in a single season with 13. In the semifinals, Clemson lost against the one-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, 7-17. 

Navy is making its first tournament appearance since 2019. The Midshipmen took down Loyola in overtime, 14-13, to win the Patriot League Tournament Championship. Alyssa Chung leads the team on offense with 65 goals and 79 points for the season. Now, it’s win or go home. Let’s get into it. 

The Tigers wasted no time. Lexi Edmonds scored on the first offensive possession for Clemson. In the cage, Emily Lamparter picked up her first save off an 8-meter shot. Lindsey Marshall was being double-teamed, opening up lanes for her teammates. Katie Castiello got the second goal for Clemson. Off a fast break, Chung ripped one from behind the 12-meter arc to get Navy on the board. She later had a beautiful behind-the-back shot that was ultimately waved off for an illegal stick. Brooke Goldstein and Natalie Shurtleff tacked on goals for Clemson, putting them up 4-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Felicia Giglio was between the pipes for Navy. Entering the game, she notched a 41.1% save rate with 10.18 goals given up on average on 433 shots faced. Giglio opened the second quarter with an impressive save off a powerful shot from Marshall. Navy’s Ava Yovino capitalized on the other end. Shurtleff had a free position shot blocked by Giglio.

Clemson continued to play a physical zone defense. While it took a while for Navy to adjust, they eventually found gaps. Navy was awarded a free position off a foul. On the shot, Maggie Jordan earned a yellow card for a push at the crease. Emma Kennedy would not waste the third opportunity to find the back of the net. Another successful 8-meter opportunity for the Midshipmen propelled them to even the score at 5. Edmonds got Clemson’s only goal of the quarter. The Tigers' 13 fouls allowed Navy to claw its way back. 

The Midshipmen kept the momentum rolling. Their draw unit was dominant, providing more offensive opportunities. Clemson struggled to have a clean clear. Turnovers in the midfield led to two goals and Navy’s first lead of the game. Goldstein had a spin dodge from X for Clemson’s first score in 18 minutes. On the next possession, Shurtleff found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed as she entered the crease. Both teams earned multiple green cards, yet failed to convert on the power plays. More saves from Giglio kept Navy in front. 

With only an assist so far, Marshall was kept quiet. Her goal to start the fourth quarter tied the game at 7. A green card put Clemson on the woman-up advantage. Marshall dodged two defenders for her second goal in 30 seconds. The Tigers were alive. Cue a Navy timeout. Out of the break, Williams got her second score of the game, but it wouldn't be enough. Bridget Babcock tallied back-to-back goals. Marshall completed a fourth-quarter hat trick to put the Tigers up by three with five minutes remaining. The Tigers efficiently ran out the rest of the clock.

Clemson defeated Navy 11-8 for its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in program history. A fourth-quarter rally sparked by Marshall carried the team to victory. Defensively, Summer Agostino led the team with 5 caused turnovers and 4 ground ball pickups. Lamparter finished with seven saves. An already exciting year for this program continues. The Tigers will face No. 1 North Carolina on May 11th at 12:00 p.m. Let’s keep dancing.