STANDISH, ME- In a back-and-forth battle that went down to the wire, the Saint Joseph's College (11-5, 9-2) women's lacrosse team pulled off a thrilling 9-8 win over Johnson & Wales (11-4, 9-2) on Tuesday evening to complete the end of their regular season. 

Saint Joseph's saw big performances from Taylor Dumond (Minisink, N.Y.) and senior Sophia Burton (Westtown, N.Y.), who each netted three goals. Dumond's final goal—set up by Ella Highbarger (Kennebunk, ME) in the third quarter—turned out to be the game-winner.

The Monks came out strong, finishing the first quarter up 2-1 thanks to goals from Highbarger and Burton, both assisted by Celia Melanson (Waterford, ME), who had a pair of assists on the day.

The second quarter saw both offenses heat up, with the teams going into halftime knotted at five. Saint Joe's then edged ahead in the third, outscoring the Wildcats 3-2 to gain a slim advantage heading into the final frame.

Morgan Wright (Chelmsford, MA) played a huge role in securing the win, racking up 10 saves—including a clutch stop on a free-position shot with just four seconds left on the clock.

Despite being outshot 25-17 and trailing in ground balls (28-11) and draw controls (14-7), the Monks' defense came up big when it mattered most. They forced 24 turnovers, led by Annabella Venna (Halifax, MA) with four caused, while Shauna Clark (Oakland, ME) and Elle Hall (Casco, ME) added three each.