Clemson Lacrosse lost to Stanford, 13-12, in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Semifinal at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Friday evening, April 24.
The close match ended Clemson’s run in the ACC tournament and marked a significant contest between two top-seeded teams. The game was decided by a late goal from Stanford after both teams exchanged leads throughout the four quarters.
Freshman midfielder Aubrie Eisfeld led Clemson with four goals. Sophomore defender Kira Balis contributed eight of Clemson’s twelve draw controls. The Tigers started strong, outscoring Stanford 3-2 in the first quarter with goals from Alexa Spallina, Natalie Shurtleff, and Eisfeld. In the second quarter, Stanford responded by outscoring Clemson and taking a two-goal lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw both teams trading goals as Clemson narrowed the gap by scoring five times compared to Stanford’s four. Emma Penczek scored twice early in the third period for Clemson before Eisfeld added two more goals and Brook Goldstein rounded out scoring for the Tigers.
In the final quarter, Clemson extended its scoring run but could not hold off three late goals from Stanford. A behind-the-back goal secured victory for Stanford after tying it up at 12-12 earlier in the frame.
Statistically, Penczek reached over fifty points this season with her three-goal performance. Other notable contributions included Goldstein with two goals and an assist; Shurtleff with two goals and three assists; Spallina adding one goal and two assists; while several other players made defensive contributions through ground balls or caused turnovers.
With this result, Clemson now holds a record of three wins and four losses all-time in ACC Tournament play. Looking ahead, selections for the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship will be announced on Sunday, May 3 at 9 p.m., followed by first-round games starting Friday, May 8. The championship semifinals are scheduled for May 22 at Martin Stadium in Chicago and will be broadcast on ESPNU; the national title game is set for May 24 on ESPN.
