Brockport, N.Y. (nazathletics.com) – The Nazareth women's lacrosse team travelled back to Brockport to take on the Golden Eagles on Tuesday, just 6 days after playing them in regular season competition. This matchup carried more importance to both squads, however, since this was an Empire 8 Conference quarterfinal matchup. The Golden Flyers looked to upset #3 SUNY Brockport, but they fell short and suffered a 13-5 loss. This defeat marked Nazareth's final game of the season, while Brockport moves on to the semifinals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brockport got the scoring started early, getting on the board less than one minute into the game. They carried play heavily early, adding two more goals before the 5 minute mark of the first quarter to jump out to a commanding 3-0 lead. It was another minute before Nazareth recorded their first shot on goal of the game. The two teams traded fouls and clears for the remainder of the period, seeing it get increasingly evenly matched as it went on. With 3 minutes remaining, the Golden Flyers finally managed to chip into Brockport's lead thanks to a goal from Megan Martin. That tally would send the squads into the second quarter at 3-1.
• Nazareth continued to eat at their opponents' lead in the second frame thanks to Grace Gardner's goal just 53 seconds in. However, the Golden Eagles managed to regain some separation in the following minutes, scoring 3 consecutive goals in 4 minutes. Nazareth responded with another goal of their own to make it 6-3, but Brockport continued to have their way offensively as they would score two more before halftime, sending the teams into the break with an 8-3 score.
• Unlike the preceding two quarters, the third period started much slower, with both teams turning the ball over in what appeared to be a more defensive segment of play. SUNY Brockport broke the second-half silence with just under 9 minutes remaining to go up 9-3, but another scoreless streak would ensue for both teams.The Golden Flyers weren't able to get on the board in the third quarter, but their opponents added yet another to send Nazareth into the fourth period with a steep hill to climb.
• The purple-and-gold came out hot with hopes of mounting an all-time comeback, scoring a goal just 41 seconds in courtesy of Anna Myers, but Brockport answered at the 11:11 mark to reestablish their 7-goal lead. Brockport went on to add 2 more and Gwen Newtown added a goal to her 3 assists before the final horn, solidifying the win for the Golden Eagles and ending Nazareth's season with a 13-5 quarterfinal loss.

 
GAME NOTES

• Junior Gwen Newtown was Nazareth's offensive engine, scoring a goal and recording 3 assists. She also added a ground ball, a caused turnover, and 2 draw controls
• Junior Elizabeth Smith scored a goal and caused 2 turnovers
• Senior Grace Gardner's final game was highlighted by a goal, 2 ground balls and a caused turnover
• Sophomore Anna Myers also recorded a goal on the day
• Junior Megan Martin added a goal and a caused turnover
• First year Maya Garrison picked up a ground ball and caused 2 turnovers on the defensive end
• Senior Haley Dennison contributed 2 caused turnovers
• Senior Emma Bossard added a caused turnover and 2 ground balls
• Senior goalkeeper Allie Klestinec made 9 saves

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Golden Flyers ended the 2026 campaign with a 4-15 overall record and a conference record of 4-5, earning a 6th-place regular season finish. They were especially strong at home, earning a record of 4-4 at NLPA field. They will bid farewell to their seniors and begin their offseason preparations in hopes of building on this season, and we will see them back in action the Spring of 2027.
 
To stay updated on all things Nazareth Athletics, follow us on Instagram, X and Facebook for the latest news and highlights.