AMHERST, Mass. – After surging to an early edge behind a five-goal unanswered stretch, third-seeded Saint Joseph's (13-6) managed to stave off a late rally by No. 2 Richmond (14-4) during the second semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Championship, stifling the Spiders over the course of the final nine minutes of regulation en route to 10-9 victory late Friday afternoon at Garber Field.
With the victory, the Hawks advance to their second A-10 Women's Lacrosse Championship Final in as many years, matching wits against tournament host and No. 1 overall seed Massachusetts at noon ET on Sunday, May 1. The contest will be broadcast live via ESPN+.
The contest started out at a virtual deadlock, with SJU opening the scoring with a pair of goals before the Spiders responded with two of their own. Following that first quarter, however, the Hawks took flight offensively, capturing an edge they would never surrender at the 14:17 mark in the second period before logging another four goals over the course of the next 10 minutes.
Richmond managed to break the team's scoreless streak with two more goals within the final three minutes of the half, but Saint Joseph's reclaimed the momentum with a final score at the 27 second mark.
Up four entering the final two periods, the Hawks dialed back their offensive aggression and shifted focus to defensive efficiency, scoring just twice more overall while the Spiders pounded out five goals across to close the gap down to one. Over the course of the final 9:07, SJU goalkeeper Jorden Concordia and her defensive compatriots fended off consistent Richmond attack waves, culminating with a dramatic no-shot hold during the Spiders' final 19-second possession.
Statistically, A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Figura continued to live up to her award, collecting five goals – four of which came during the first half alone – over the course of the match. Concordia, meanwhile, swiped 12 total saves while pacing the squad with six ground balls scooped.
For Richmond, junior Lindsey Frank served as the team's offensive focal point, notching a hat trick for the contest with one assist and two draw controls. Spider netminder Delaney Galvin also proved a force inside the cage, grabbing 16 saves herself with two scooped ground balls.