Lexington, Va. - On Sunday afternoon, the Transylvania Pioneers women's lacrosse team took on the fifth ranked Washington & Lee Generals in the second round of the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament.
In the opening round, the Pioneers played in an absolute thriller to knock off the Washington & Jefferson Presidents with a 16-15 win. It was the Transylvania women's lacrosse program's first NCAA Tournament win in their history.
Coming into the match, the Washington & Lee Generals were ranked fifth overall in the IWLCA Division III Coaches Poll, but the Pioneers certainly welcomed the matchup as it gave them a chance to face a new level of competition late into the spring.
While the Pioneers fell in the matchup with a final score of 21-0, they fought to the very end, undoubtedly leaving a mark on the rest of the NCAA's Division III. In the afternoon, senior Madie Denman led the team again with 3 ground balls as well as a caused turnover. Goaltender Abi Waldron came up with 9 saves going against a top-ranked Generals attack.
After having multiple players named to the HCAC All-Conference teams, and winning conference awards such as Offensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and Coach of the Year, this Pioneers women's lacrosse team came a long way throughout the season.
The Pioneers closed out another great season, as they stormed through their conference in undefeated fashion and took home an NCAA Tournament win. This season will surely go down as one of the program's best and will be remembered. The outstanding senior duo of Lindy Walker and Madie Denman will be sorely missed, however the Transylvania team has proven it has a very bright future and the experiences from this season will help them continue to grow.
Head Coach Rachael Bragg, in her first season with the team, took the program to new heights and will look to continue to do so for years to come. With all but two seniors returning next season, the Pioneers aim to come back next spring ready to achieve even more.
For more information on Transylvania women's lacrosse, follow @TransyWLax on Twitter.
