HENRIETTA, NY - The Fighting Owls made an early exit from the National Tournament this year after being defeated by the Anne Arundel Riverhawks 19-16. This was the fourth time the teams met this season, the last two contests coming just 9 days apart.

After their 11-25 loss to Anne Arundel in the District Championship, Harford knew they had to muster a nearly perfect game to compete with the eventual National Champions in the semifinals. After hours of studying film and practicing strategies on tempo and ball control, they left for New York with hopeful spirits and a determined mindset to show their true colors. The team had come so far already to build a roster, and teach the game of lacrosse to their inexperienced teammates, that extra effort just seemed to be part of the process. The national semifinal would also be Ally Torgerson's first full game in goal after stepping in for an injured Samantha Devorak in the second half of the district championship. Against all odds, the preparation worked almost as well as it could have and, despite walking away from the national tournament without any hardware, the team celebrated the fight they put up, and the 3-goal deficit that was once 15 at the start of their season. 

The Riverhawks came storming out of the gates to go up early in the first quarter. Four unanswered goals loomed on the scoreboard into the 7th minute of the period, when Keira Campbell found Rachel Anderson to score the first Harford goal of the contest. It would take until 2 minutes remaining in the period for Madison Dawson and Ashley Waldhauser to net goals of their own, but the Fighting Owls would find themselves down a hefty deficit of six goals with three more quarters to play.

The second quarter was a different story. Jacqueline Garst would feed Ashley Waldhauser to open the period and bring the game within 5. Anne Arundel would score twice before Waldhauser found Jessica Stout to end the run and take charge of the momentum. The Fighting Owls would string together 3 more goals to bring the game within 3 with just three minutes left in the half. Waldhauser scoring 2, and Keira Campbell scoring one for herself. Anne Arundel's Julia Sokolowski would manage to score with one minute remaining to make the score 12-8, and enter halftime with 6 goals and an assist to her name.

The third period was another explosion by the Riverhawks offense. The only tally Harford could manage came in the last minute of play on a free postion shot by Ashley Waldhauser. With the deficit now 9 goals and only 15 minutes to play, the Fighting Owls would need extraordinary effort to bring the game within reach. The fourth quarter was a masterclass in concerted effort. The Fighting Owls were nearly flawless in every category going 5-5 on clears, winning 8 of 12 ground balls, and committing zero fouls through the final period of the contest. They managed 12 shots to Anne Arundel's 5, and converted 2-4 free positions attempts. 5 different players would contribute to the scoreline, with Jessica Stout and Ashley Waldhauser each scoring twice. Julia Skinner who lead the team with 5 draw controls and 4 caused turnovers would also find the net. Harford won the final period 7-1, their best 15 minute performance of the year, but time would expire before the effort could be converted into a result. Although defeated again, the team could walk off the field with their heads held high knowing that they mustered the performance they'd been hoping for all season. A glimmer of hope perhaps for a seasoned team of returners looking for redemption in 2024.

Two players were given All-Tournament honors following the weekend. Ashley Waldhauser, logging 7 goals and 2 assists, and Ally Torgerson who made 11 saves on 30 shots faced.