ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Playing true to form for the full 60 minutes, the No. 2 Wesleyan women's lacrosse team locked in on the defensive end and
Dylan Green '26 produced a hat trick on the offensive end, leading the Cardinals to a 5-4 win over No. 3 Salisbury in the NCAA Semifinal on Friday afternoon from Judson Stadium. Wesleyan (19-3) advances to the NCAA Championship for the first time in team history and will face No. 1 Middlebury in the title game on Sunday at 3 PM.
Facing an undefeated Sea Gulls team that came in averaging just under 15 goals per game, Wesleyan imposed their will on the game, drawing Salisbury into a low-scoring defensive battle that came down to the wire. Armed with a 5-4 lead at the start of the fourth,
Izzy Weintraub '26 made a stop on Audrey Harrington in the opening 10 seconds before the Cardinal defense went on to force turnovers on five of the next six possessions for the Gulls.
Salisbury made a defensive stand with under two minutes left and after calling timeout, Grace Doyle took a pair of shots from distance that both sailed wide of cage. On Doyle's second attempt that went wide,
Molly Simon '26 grabbed a crucial ground ball before Doyle was whistled for a green card with 17 seconds left. Wesleyan took their final timeout and Salisbury pulled their goalie, but the Cardinals put the ball in the stick of
Bridget Horst '26 who blew past her two defenders all the way down the field as time expired.
Wesleyan's defense, which came in holding opponents to less than six goals per game, shined as the Gulls were held to their fewest goals in a game since 2018. Ground balls weighted heavily in Wesleyan's favor (17-10) as did draw controls (8-3) while Weintraub continued to dominate in the cage as the First Team All-American goalkeeper made nine stops including five saves and one goal allowed in the second half.
The Cardinal offense had a similar challenge facing a Salisbury defense, as the Gulls had active sticks at every level of their defense while goalkeeper Paige Ellis made eight saves herself. Wesleyan got one past Ellis midway through the first quarter as
Kyra Browne '26 received a pass from
Addie Cummings '26 in front with her back to goal. Browne had enough leverage to spin off the Salisbury defenders to score the opener on a player-up opportunity.
Salisbury knotted the score at 1-1 with a late Mackenzie Demaio goal with just 26 seconds left in the first. Green made something happen early in the second, splitting two Salisbury defenders to break into the middle of the Gulls defense. She just had Ellis to beat and her shot slid inside the left post.
The score was later tied at 2-2 when Cummings got her hands free and went low and inside the right post to give the Cardinals another one-goal lead. However, back-and-forth these teams went as Salisbury tied the score just over two minutes later and it was all square at the half.
Weintraub made the save of the game early on in the third quarter as Regan McDonnell made a dodge on the near side and crashed towards the crease, only to see her shot destined for the upper right corner snatched with an incredible reflex save the senior goalkeeper.
Then on the ensuing Wesleyan offensive possession, Green buried a free position goal to make it 4-3 Cardinals. Weintraub made two more saves in the next 2+ minutes to keep the lead intact before Green added another free position marker, signaling the first time in the game where one team scored consecutive goals.
The two-goal cushion dropped down to one late in the third quarter, setting the stage for the fourth where Wesleyan forced five Salisbury turnovers and held the Gulls scoreless to secure the historic win.
Green's hat trick brings her total up to nine goals across four NCAA Tournament games while she leads the team with 12 points in the national postseason. Cummings had one goal and one assist, giving her one goal in every NCAA Tournament game this year.
Horst grabbed six draw controls while
Elise Kurtis '29 scooped up five ground balls while also forcing two turnovers.
Lindsey Diomede '26 managed two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Wesleyan battles the five-time defending NCAA National Champion Middlebury in the title game on Sunday at 3 PM. That will be the third meeting between the two sides this season with the Panthers coming out on top 5-4 in the regular season and 7-5 in the NESCAC Championship game. Both contests this year were played in Vermont.
