Stevenson women’s lacrosse fought relentlessly against No. 1 York Saturday, ultimately falling 8-7. Their season comes to an end sitting at an 12-7 overall record and 5–2 in the MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference).

The No. 3 seed team sought to build off their momentous MAC semifinal win against No.2 seed Messiah on Wednesday.

“Our team stepped out with complete trust in each other and confidence,” said graduate student Sophia Murray. “I think we played to win, and while we came short we fought until the last second, which is something to be proud of.”

The Stangs were determined to stay in the game, but remained just one step behind York with goals from Murray, fourth-year Kara Yarusso, third-year Kellyann Coccia, graduate student Erin Steinberg and first-year Ava Treakle. York was a tough opponent, yet Coccia is confident in her team’s abilities and potential for next season.

“Even though we didn’t come out on top, I didn’t doubt for a second that we were the better team on the field,” Coccia said.

Stevenson fought until the very end, but the Spartans’ defense carried them to their third consecutive MAC Commonwealth title, earning them an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse tournament.

The loss was disappointing, but Murray looks back fondly on her teammates and the overall season.

“Every girl has worked so hard to help the team get to this point, and I cannot express how grateful I am to them for being so welcoming and just amazing people overall,” Murray said. “I hope I was able to have as much of a positive impact on them as they’ve had on me.”