Eleven months ago, the women's lacrosse team left Quinnipiac visibly disappointed by a resounding 11-6 defeat.
But what a difference a year can make.
Sunday, the Bears walked off their home turf with a different story written on their faces. A late run gave them a 13-10 victory over the visiting Bobcats, avenging their loss last season.
The score was close throughout the game, with Quinnipiac leading at several points. But Brown refused to let the game slip away.
"Every game is a battle," said Paris Waterman '11, who scored twice for the Bears. "Our confidence in one another is what pulls us out of tight games."
Just four days earlier, the Bears let a one-goal lead at halftime versus Boston University slide, eventually losing, 9-5.
"I think it shows how much we can grow in just a matter of days," Waterman said. "We let BU go on Wednesday, but today we did everything we could and held on. I'm so proud."
Waterman was just one of seven goal-scorers, including up-and-comer Lindsay Minges '13 with three goals and Kaela McGilloway '12 with four goals and two assists.
Brown Head Coach Keely McDonald '00 was also pleased with her team's performance.
"We needed to stay composed today, and we did. It was the key to our success," she said.
Indeed, the Bears stayed poised, even in the final minutes as their opponents made several strong runs at goal. The defense, anchored by tri-captain Kiki Manners '10 and standout freshman Sidney Jacobs '13, held its own until the very end, forcing offensive mistakes and feeding the Bears' offense throughout the entire game.
"It was close, but in the end, we panicked and they stayed calm," said Quinnipiac Head Coach Danie Caro. "Brown deserved to win."
That's not to say her team didn't put up a good fight. Marissa Caroleo was fierce on offense, scoring four times for the Bobcats, while Kaitlyn Kelly also stood out with seven draw controls, two of which resulted in goals.
Brown improves to 2-1 on the season as the team approaches its Ivy League opener next Saturday versus Princeton. The Tigers are ranked ninth nationally, one of three Ivy League schools, including Penn and Dartmouth, in the top 20.
Brown needs to finish in the top four of the Ivy League to qualify for the first-ever Ivy Women's Lacrosse tournament.
"Princeton is a great team," McDonald said. "But we can't think about them. If we just focus on our game, we can win."
"We're going to have lots of close games," Waterman added. "In the end, we just have to get the job done."
