FARMINGDALE, NY (May 13, 2007) -- Led by tournament most valuable player Ali Fantl (West Hartford, CT/William Hall), Vassar's women's lacrosse team capped a spectacular season with a 10-9 victory over SUNY Brockport to claim the ECAC Upstate Championship Sunday afternoon at Farmingdale State. The Brewers (12-5) and seeded No. 2 in the tournament, upset No. 1 seed Brockport (13-4) with 1:32 remaining when junior attack Christine Castellan (Media, PA/Penncrest) took a pass from Fantl in front and found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the day.

It has been a historic season for the Brewers, both from a team standpoint and individually. The 12 victories in 2007 tied the most in school record, equaling the 12 wins set ten years earlier -- in the 1997 season. For the first time since joining the Liberty League in 2000, Vassar qualified for the post season tournament. This came on the heels of a five-win Liberty League season, the most in school history. That milestone was achieved during a program-best seven game winning streak. In late March, Vassar won its second Seven Sisters Championship in the last three years with Fantl's play spearheading the title and earning her MVP honors. Head coach Judy Finerghty was named Liberty League Coach of the Year, Fantl to the First-Team and juniors Christine Castellan and Ariel Nelson to the Second-Team. Indeed, it has been a whirlwind of success for the Brewers in 2007.

Fantl, who had 12 goals and three assists in the two-day tournament, scored the first goal of the day and the Brewers scored two more quick goals for a 3-0 lead just five minutes in. Brockport's junior attacker Carrie Kane (Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit) responded to make it 3-1, but Vassar's sophomore midfielder Christine Eaccarino (Old Saybrook, CT/Old Saybrook) notched two straight goals to put her team up by four and at the half, the Brewers were led 5-3.

Kane and Fantl traded goals early in the second for a 6-4 score, before freshman attacker Lexie Goodhart (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) put Brockport within one, 6-5, just a minute later. Vassar went up 9-5 with a three-goal spurt, keyed by two goals by Castellan and one by Fantl.

Brockport pressured the ball and saw another goal from Goodhart, a goal from freshman attacker Lindsey Cayea (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and two goals from sophomore attacker Kim Morris (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), including the game-tying free position shot, with 3:30 remaining to play.

Vassar's junior attacker Christine Castellan took a pass from Fantl in front and found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the day and the eventual game-winner with 1:32 left on the clock.

Junior goalkeeper Ariel Nelson (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields) made 12 saves for the win, while senior goalkeeper Ashley Taylor (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) finished with seven saves in defeat.

2007-05-13