NEW LONDON, Conn. — Gigi Sandull (So., Kenilworth, N.J./Union County Vocational-Technical School) scored six times to claim Player of the Game status as host Connecticut College topped Grove City College, 16-9, in the final game on day two of the 2024 CWPA Division III Championship hosted by Camels at the Jane Cadwell Lott ’36 Natatorium.
Courtesy the win, Connecticut (9-7, 4-4 CWPA Division III) advances to the tournament’s Fifth Place game at 10:30 a.m. Eastern/7:30 a.m. Pacific on Sunday, April 21, versus Carthage College. The Camels fell to the Firebirds by a 12-8 score on April 6 at Penn State Behrend in regular season competition.
In the history of the CWPA Division Championship, the Camels have previously finished first (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), second (2018), third (2012), fourth (2017, 2019, 2023), fifth (2010), sixth (2011) and ninth (2022).
Grove City (4-15, 1-7 CWPA Division III) – which previously notched first (2010, 2011, 2012), second (2013), third (2021), fourth (2015), fifth (2014, 2016, 2019, 2022), sixth (2017, 2018) and seventh (2023) place marks in the history of the championship – will take on Penn State Behrend at 9:00 a.m. Eastern/6:00 a.m. Pacific on April 21 for Seventh Place. The Wolverines finished 1-1 against the Lions during the regular season by dropping a neutral site league game on March 10 (17-14 L) at Washington & Jefferson College before picking up a 16-13 win at home in Grove City on April 13 in non-conference competition.
Shastyn Tihansky (Fr., Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) opened the scoring by firing a shot into the cage 40 seconds into the first quarter to stake Grove City to a 1-0 lead. Sandull responded for Connecticut at 6:37, Tihansky returned the lead to Grove City at 5:32 and Ainsley Cornwall (So., San Mateo, Calif./Aragon) posted an equalizer at 5:12 as the Camels and Wolverines went back-and-forth in the scoring column.
Kiley Sill (So., Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) (4:51) and Clarie Lochstet (Sr., Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin) (3:59) returned the lead to Grove City at 4-2, but Sarah Franco (Sr., Weston, Calif./Weston) (2:29) and Anna Taylor (So., Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill) (10 seconds) erased the deficit to square the teams at four-all by the conclusion of the first quarter.
The second quarter proved to be the domain of Connecticut as Taylor (7:40), Sandull (7:15), Brooke Brandenburger (So., Sacramento, Calif./Christian Brothers) (4:27, man-up) and Melia Lorch (So., Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) (3:50) capped off a 6-0 outburst by the Camels to acquire an 8-4 margin.
Tihansky (2:37, penalty shot) and Sill (15 seconds) sandwiched a strike by Franco (37 seconds) to trim Connecticut’s lead back to 9-6 entering halftime.
Tihansky arched in another shot with 4:19 on the third quarter clock to inch Grove City within 9-7 prior to Emma Luna (So., Wahiawa, Hawaii/Punahou School) (3:37) and Sandull (2:56) answering to widen the gap to 11-7.
Lochstet chipped a goal off the Wolverines’ deficit at 1:58 before Franco (1:15) and Sandull (35 seconds) responded for Connecticut to make it a 13-8 game heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Sandull (6:37, 2:11) and Luna (5:38) further padded the home team’s lead to 16-8 prior to Kamryn Kerr (Jr., East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) accounting for Grove City’s ninth goal with six seconds left on the game clock.
Tihansky led the way for the Wolverines with four goals, while Lochstet and Sill both slipped in pairs. Kerr added a solo marker and goalkeeper Lea Steen (So., Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) turned aside nine shots in taking the loss.
Sandull (six), Franco (three), Taylor (two) and Luna (two) each posted a multi-goal game for Connecticut. Brandenburger, Cornwall and Lorch tossed in solo scores to accompany nine saves by Maddie Baybeck (Fr., Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer).
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Grove City College |
4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 9 |
| Connecticut College | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | – | 16 |
| Connecticut Goals: | Gigi Sandull (6); Sarah Franco (3); Anna Taylor (2); Emma Luna (2); Brooke Brandenburger; Ainsley Cornwall; Melia Lorch | |||||
| Grove City Goals: | Shastyn Tihansky (4); Clarie Lochstet (2); Kiley Sill (2); Kamryn Kerr | |||||
| Saves: | Connecticut – Maddie Baybeck (9) ; Grove City – Lea Steen (9) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Connecticut – 4 ; Grove City – 6 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Connecticut – 1-for-6; Grove City – 1-for-4 | |||||
| Sprints: | Connecticut – 2-for-4 (2nd, 3rd) ; Grove City – 2-for-4 (1st, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Michael Francis, Alex High | |||||
Connecticut College’s Emma Luna (#9) defends Grove City College’s Kiley Sill (#6)
Grove City College’s Carolyn Marks (#7) lobs a pass over Connecticut College’s Gigi Sandull (#4)
Grove City College’s Clarie Lochstet (#15) closes on Connecticut College’s Emma Luna (#9)
