BOX SCORE
DENVER – Host and No. 1 seed Denver rallied from a five-goal second-half deficit to defeat No. 3 seed Georgetown 16-15 in overtime to win the 2022 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by JEEP. Tournament Most Outstanding Player Bea Behrins scored the game-winning goal with 2:30 left in the second half of overtime as the Pioneers outscored the Hoyas 9-3 after halftime. It marked Denver’s second straight BIG EAST title. The Pioneers earned the BIG EAST’s automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament marking their fourth consecutive invite and sixth overall.
The field for the 2022 DI women's lacrosse tournament will be revealed Sunday, May 8 at 9 p.m. ET live on ESPNU. Twenty-nine teams will qualify for this year's tournament.
With the two stingiest teams in the BIG EAST squaring off, the game was anticipated to be a defensive battle – that was proven wrong in the opening minutes of the contest as Georgetown jumped out to a 3-1 lead just over five minutes in. The Hoyas led 7-5 after the first quarter with Kylie Hazen and Emma Gebhardt each scoring twice.
Georgetown’s offense kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter, stretching their lead to five, 12-7, by halftime. Erin Bakes scored three times in the frame.
Denver’s nationally ranked defense shined in the second half, however, limiting the Hoyas to just one score in the third quarter while Julia Gilbert and Behrins combined to score three times to make it a 13-10 game heading into the fourth.
Denver scored five of the next six goals to take its first lead since 13:57 in the first quarter, 15-14, with 4:34 left in regulation. Jordyn Sabourin leveled the game for Georgetown with 1:09 left in the fourth, sending the game into overtime.
Georgetown goalie Emily Gaven made a pair of clutch saves in the first half of overtime to keep Denver off the board for the first three minutes of the bonus period, but Behrins provided the dagger 30 seconds into the second half. Behrins finished with five goals while Gaven posted 11 saves. Victoria Macres earned the win for Denver with four saves over 44:34.
Behrins was joined on the All-Tournament Team by fellow Pioneers Sam Thacker, Kailee Lammers, Abby Jenkins and Julia Gilbert. Gilbert finished with eight points off five goals and three assists, while Jenkins had a game-high 12 draw controls. Georgetown’s Ali Dimond, Mary Pagano and LizaBanks Campagna were also named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Connecticut’s Ariana Kline and Landyn White, and Marquette’s Shea Garcia and Ellie Henry.
Most Outstanding Player
Bea Behrins, Denver
BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
Bea Behrins, Denver
Sam Thacker, Denver
Kailee Lammers, Denver
Abby Jenkins, Denver
Julia Gilbert, Denver
Ali Diamond, Georgetown
Mary Pagano, Georgetown
LizaBanks Campagna, Georgetown
Ariana Kline, UConn
Landyn White, UConn
Shea Garcia, Marquette
Ellie Henry, Marquette
BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Championship
Presented By JEEP
Semifinals – May 5 – BEDN
No. 1 seed Denver 16, No. 4 seed UConn 6
No. 3 seed Georgetown 17, No. 2 seed Marquette 13
Final – May 7 – FS2
No. 1 seed Denver 16, No. 3 seed Georgetown 15
All times Eastern
All games played at Peter Barton Stadium – Denver, Colo.