With blood (a conference title) in the water (on the line), the LIU Sharks were on the hunt for program history.
Seeking its first trip to the NCAA tournament as a Division I program after making its D-I debut in 2020, LIU — long a successful Division II outfit — had to get through top-seeded Sacred Heart on Saturday in the NEC title game. The Sharks eventually finished the job, winning 10-7.
“We just made history," LIU goalie Mylie Norton said on the postgame broadcast. “We’re the first women’s lacrosse team at LIU to win an NEC championship, and I just can’t be happier. I owe it all to my team and my coaches and the fans."
The Sharks set the tone early, scoring all three goals of the first quarter. With one score each from Rachel Weber, Lindsey Lucia and Jen Gaffney, LIU was in good shape.
Sacred Heart answered with its own three-goal stretch, also from three different players. Shae Insinga knotted the score at 3 with 8:06 left in the first half.
The pivotal section of the game was its middle. LIU scored the final two goals of the second half and two of the first three of the third quarter, going ahead 7-4 on Erin Harkey’s player-up tally with 5:30 left in the period.
It was by no means a massive lead, but it was enough to weather a back-and-forth final 20 minutes in which neither team scored more than once in a row.
But there were chances for Sacred Heart. Ryann Kearns cut it to 9-7 on her free position goal with 7:26 remaining, and the threats continued. Norton made two saves after that goal, and Sacred Heart had two other shot attempts go wide.
Norton finished with 10 saves, none bigger than her two in the final half of the fourth quarter.
