This weekend, the women’s lacrosse team (10- 3, 5-3 in the NESCAC) squared off against the Amherst Mammoths (9-3, 5-3 in the NESCAC) and the Tufts Jumbos (10-3, 6-2 in the NESCAC). Following a streak of 10 consecutive wins, the Ephs suffered an 11-10 loss to the Mammoths and a 7-6 loss to the Jumbos.

Going into its back-to-back weekend games, the team channeled energy from its Tuesday 9-8 victory over Hamilton. Attacker Elsa Dean-Muncie ’25 expressed her excitement before the Amherst and Tufts match-ups in an email to the Record. “Amherst and Tufts are both very good teams, but our mindset is to just focus on one game at a time… As a team, the focus and emphasis are on being present and staying in the moment.”

Though the Ephs brought their focus to their first match against the Mammoths, they fell short one point from securing a win. Coming out of the gate strong, the team scored the first goal of the game. Amherst, however, was undeterred, proceeding to score the next seven goals.

Despite the Mammoths’ six-point lead, the Ephs were far from finished. Pushing back, co-captain Isabel Arvelo ’23 and Franny Donohue ’26 scored the next two goals for the Ephs. The team continued to whittle away at Amherst’s lead, tying the score 8-8 at the end of the third quarter. With 1:39 left in the final quarter, the Mammoths scored their last goal, ending the game 11-10.

“It was definitely a battle — really gritty,” goalkeeper Caroline Pratt ’25 said. Pratt commended the team’s defense, especially fellow goalie Anj Raman ’24. “[Raman] stepped up in a huge way, completely shutting down the Amherst offense,” she said. Combined, Raman and Pratt made eight saves during the game.

For Pratt, the match against Amherst also highlighted the team’s resilience. “We were able to come back from a 7-1 deficit and make it a really competitive game, which we’re all so proud of,” she said.

Heading into their Sunday game against Tufts, the Ephs brought the same confidence and excitement they do to every game — as well as lessons from their loss. “[The team’s focus is] definitely just coming out hot for all four quarters and staying consistent,” Pratt said. “Mentality-wise, we just always want to have that momentum on the field.”

The Ephs did indeed come out hot for their game against the Jumbos, keeping the score close throughout the entire game. Goals from Arvelo, Donohue, and Grace Collier ’25 maintained a tied score, and Collier’s goal helped the team pull ahead to 6-5 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With 2:03 left in the game, however, the Jumbos squeezed out a lead, closing the score at 7-6. “It was a bummer [of] a loss, but it was really awesome to see what we’re capable of and how we [have the potential] to beat them,” Donohue said. 

Donohue, who is playing her first full season of lacrosse after recovering from a broken leg and a sprained ankle, praised the team’s camaraderie this season. “I’m so grateful to be on this team,” she said. “It’s like having 30 sisters.”

Reflecting on the season so far, Pratt attributed the team’s overall success this season to its leadership. “Our coaching staff is incredible,” Pratt said. Head Coach Alice Lee, who has coached the Ephs since 2017, was joined by assistant coaches Olivia Seymour in 2022 and Erica Blubaugh this year.

In addition to the coaching staff, players also praised the team’s student leaders. “The seniors have done such an amazing job fostering a close-knit and supportive environment,” Dean-Muncie wrote. “Knowing that your teammates support you and have your back makes a huge difference in playing freely and with [having] a high level of trust in each other.”

Arvelo expressed a similar sentiment. “We all push each other to be our best and believe in ourselves even when others do not,” she wrote in an email to the Record. “I truly feel so lucky to be surrounded by such a compassionate, committed, and fun group of girls.”

Next Saturday, the Ephs will face the Wesleyan Cardinals at home. The game — the penultimate match-up of the regular season — is also the Ephs’ Senior Day. According to Donahue, the team hopes to earn a win for its seniors and enter the final game of the season with momentum. “[We’re] going in with a mindset of connecting the dots and doing it for seniors,” she said “They give so much to this program and our team. We’re just trying to really finish it off before our last game against Middlebury.”