CANTON, N.Y. - Top-seeded State University of New York at Canton defeated second-seeded Husson University, 20-14, in the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon at the SUNY Canton Turf Field.

Senior Sophia Gomez gave the Husson an early 1-0 lead when she hit pay dirt at the 12:33 mark of the first quarter. Senior Samantha Dayter put SUNY Canton on the board with back-to-back strikes before Gomez tied the game with unassisted marker with 5:04 left in the opening quarter. Dayter found the back of net to give the Roos a 3-2 lead at the 3:36 timestamp, but freshman Averi Baker connected on her first of the game to even the score 41 seconds later. Dayter and two goals by sophomore Maddy Caron delivered SUNY Canton a 6-3 advantage going into the second stanza.  

Baker opened the scoring in the second quarter 36 seconds into the period when she fired her 49th goal of season, tying Husson Hall of Famer Megan Clement's program record for goals in a single-season. SUNY Canton would then score seven unanswered goals that was capped off by junior Morgan Montgomery third of the game with 6:08 left in the first half.

Both teams scored two times in the final minutes of the second quarter as sophomore Jordyn Lengle netted both goals for the Eagles while Montgomery and Caron gave the Roos a 15-6 lead going into the intermission.

The Eagles came out of the break hot scoring three straight goals off the sticks of sophomore Natalie Whitten and two from Gomez before Dayter scored with 26 seconds left in the third to make the game 16-9 going into the final frame.

Dayter scored 51 seconds into the fourth before Gomez and Baker's 50th of year to set a new program-record of goals in a single-season cut the Roos lead to seven with 11:38 remaining in the game. Caron and Dayter scored 51 seconds apart at the 8:54 and 8:03 marks, respectively, to make it a19-11 game.

Baker scored three of the final four goals of game while Daytor had the other to count for the 20-14 game. Baker's final three goals all came on women-up advantages to set a new program record for most women-up goals scored in a single-game.

SUNY Canton held the lead in shots (41-33), shots on goal (34-27), ground balls (18-16), draw controls (25-12), and caused turnovers (8-4).

Husson sophomore keeper Emily Godfrey made eight saves in the first half while sophomore Emma Begin stopped six in the second half. Senior Olivia Scott had 13 saves in between the pipes for the Roos.

Baker scored six goals with an assist, a ground ball and three draw controls in the setback for the Eagles. Gomez added five goals, an assist, three ground balls and six draw controls. Lengle had two goals with a caused turnover. Whitten tallied a goal with two assists on the afternoon. Sophomore Maddy Benoit chipped in with an assist, two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Baker and Whitten both finished the season with 70 points tying the program's single-season record that was set by Husson Hall of Famer Shelby Bradford in 2010.

Dayter finished with a game-high nine goals with four assists and seven draw controls for the Roos. Caron added five goals with a caused turnover and 13 draw controls. Montgomery had four goals, a ground ball and a caused turnover on the afternoon. Senior Casey Pelton recorded a goal and an assist while junior Lindsey Wunder added a goal and two assists with two ground balls, a caused turnover and three draw controls.

This concludes the 2023 season for the Husson University women's lacrosse team.