Ten bracket games featured everything from universe points to dominant blowouts to underdog stories to clashes of top teams with years of history
May 18, 2025 by Zack Davis in Recap
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BURLINGTON, WA – A close day of bracket play saw Lewis & Clark pull off back-to-back upsets to join the three remaining pool winners in semifinals in Wesleyan, Haverford/Bryn Mawr, Middlebury. One dominant showing and one instant classic later, and then there were two. Read on for the top level stories from the day and stay tuned to our 2025 D-III College National Championships event page for updates, as well as streaming links for the final showdown!
Goddesses on the Hunt
Eleventh seeded Lewis & Clark Artemis jumped out to the hottest start on Sunday, upsetting last year’s finalist and no.3 seed Carleton College Eclipse in their prequarter 15-11. How’d they manage it? It starts with Katelyn Osborne and Presten Berg, who each posted four goals against the Eclipse in the prequarter. Osborne’s straight line speed and craftiness in the red zone makes her a natural problem for defenses. Her willingness to leave her feet either vertically or horizontally extends her range beyond the average player as well. Osborne has a whopping fifteen goals–good for third-highest in the tournament–nine assists, and eleven blocks through six games this weekend, and was able to carve up the Eclipse defense. Berg, with her natural athleticism and sixth sense for the disc that allows her to make plays most wouldn’t even think about, flummoxed Carleton on both sides of the disc.
Artemis didn’t stop there, going on to upset regional rivals Whitman Sweets 12-11 in their quarterfinal to earn the team their first semi berth this decade. Amelie Steer posted six of her 14 assists on the weekend in this quarter alone, leading the hunt for Artemis. Lewis & Clark jumped out to an early lead, but it was Steer’s consistency in the second half that kept the Whitman rally from converting into a win. Her last and most clutch assist came on universe, finding a shot to the end zone after Lewis & Clark’s four handlers played keep away against Whitman’s five-person zone for a minute and fifty seconds. Mikah Keetch, who may not have the same statline as some of their teammates (a modest 3G/4A/7D) but is certainly a centerpiece for the team, crucial in working the disc from the center handler position in the midfield and getting it to the wings in the red zone.
The magic finally came to an end in semis against a Wesleyan team intent on mowing through their bracket competition, but what a ride.
Wesleyan Walks
By all measures, Wesleyan’s day two was much much easier than their day one. Earning the bye to quarters in a nail-biter comeback against Davenport yesterday, they got to sleep in and were well-rested against a tired St. Olaf Vortex who had just played a scrappy game in round one against the Union Jillz. Wesleyan made quick work of Vortex, rocketing to an 8-2 lead in the first half, then further extending to 11-2 out of the half. Vortex tried to mount a comeback, but the overall number one seed put the game away 15-7. In the semifinal, the Vicious Circles turned the Artemis carriage into a pumpkin and ended the Cinderella run for the Northwestern hopefuls in a blistering 15-2 rout.
Many were quick to credit new coach Keith Raynor (and much clamoring was done in the live threads for interviews) but it is clear Raynor has an embarrassment of riches on the roster. Scout Noble, an obvious bright spot for the Metro East team, has a devastating flick huck she’s capable of uncorking from anywhere on the field. If Donovan finalist Nat Sweet had a quiet one today, it’s because their teammates were able to shoulder the majority of the burden. Milo Brown, the much anticipated rookie sensation, seemed a tick more patient today, perhaps shaking off the jitters of the big stage. The real standout for Wesleyan however, was Sofia Canoutas-Nadel, who leads the team alongside Noble in goals with nine on the weekend. Canoutas-Nadel has a natural instinct for the open space in the red zone set and made a lot of contested catches at the goal line in Wesleyan’s routs.
Clash of the Titans
For the third time in the 2020s, Haverford/Bryn Mawr and Middlebury met up in the nationals bracket in an instant classic of a semifinal that demonstrated both team’s championship-quality pedigree.
After outperforming whatever the regular season was on Saturday and earning a bye to quarters, the Pranksters were challenged for the first time this weekend by the Davenport Panthers. The game was never out of reach for Davenport, but felt controlled by the Pranksters as they found success through the duo of Ella Widmyer and Lucy VanNewkirk, two stars in their own right whose bilateral orbit around each other seemingly boosts their abilities. Their style seems to naturally compliment one another, Widmyer with clinically precise throws and VanNewkirk’s cuts honed to the finest edge. Though Davenport’s zone nearly bageled Kenyon in the prequarter match, Middlebury was able to work through it with relative ease.
On the other side of things, Haverford/Bryn Mawr, reloaded with fresh legs after the missing seniors arrived last night, made quick work of a Mount Holyoke Daisy Chain team that took them to universe in 2024. A 15-4 stunner led by graduate transfer Erica Collin and long-time leader Zoe Costanza left the Sneetches plenty of time to catch their breath. Costanza, for her part, has been an absolute showstopper, flinging herself at any and all discs that enter her vision. Costanza both leads the team in and is top three across the tournament for assists and goal, and in typical D-III star fashion, hasn’t taken more than a handful of points on the sideline. Erica Collin was an iron wall in the deep space, anchoring the Sneetches’ zone and swatting away or grabbing anything that came to them.
That break may have made the difference, as the Sneetches were able to just outdo the Pranksters down the stretch to make the final. While both Middlebury and Haverford/Bryn Mawr leaned heavily on their respective superstar duos, it was the roster depth that made the difference for both teams.
For Middlebury, it was Sasha Hanna, a Pranksters rookie who has been aggressive on both offense and defense, implementing a no-fly zone around her on both offense and defense. Alongside Widmyer in the handler space all weekend has been Ruby Salisbury, whose height gives Widmyer an easy reset target, and whose accuracy in the wind makes her a threat all her own. Sarah Capute also completed a hat trick and had a key bookend in the second half of the semifinal, but unfortunately for Middlebury it just wasn’t enough.
After opening the half with a break to go up 9-7, Haverford/Bryn Mawr clearly just outlasted a visibly gassed Middlebury team to win the game 14-11. Rookie sensation Rufus Helmreich was instrumental in the team’s success, sending deep pulls into the wind to deny Middlebury good field position and managing to contain, as much as is possible, Lucy VanNewkirk on defense. Steady backfield presence Clara Morton had a big influence on the game, putting up three assists for the Sneetches. Celia and Sonia Nicholson each had key moments, as Celia brought in three goals and Sonia racked up one of her own paired with two blocks.
The biggest momentum swing came from Phoebe Hulbert, who managed to capitalize on a swing that got eaten up by the wind and came down with a callahan. Though no one play wins a game, it was clear that there was an energy shift after that. Often trapped in the coffin corner facing the Sneetches’ zone, Middlebury couldn’t put together a rally, and Haverford/Bryn Mawr completed a pair of firsts in beating Middlebury and advancing to the final.
Around the Complex
- Despite the aforementioned loss in quarters to Haverford/Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke had an impressive day, mounting a comeback against Rochester to make the top eight. The no.12 seeded Daisy Chain have made late game rallies a habit this weekend. Charlotte Moynihan and Eliza Williams-Derry are an outstanding duo, leading the Mount Holyoke team in offensive output alongside handler and Donovan finalist Jamie Eldridge, but rookie Claire Willet has really raised eyebrows this weekend, posting a 12G/7A/10D statline over the course of the weekend.
- The top two seeded teams actually made it to the finals, just like we all predicted. As for who will win? It’s hard to deny the Sneetches, they’ve definitely had the harder bracket path to the final and have met all challengers with poise, sticking to their game plan and executing what they think is the best ultimate for them. Wesleyan, however, has looked very clean, and already demonstrated their ability to overcome adversity against Davenport. Both teams have a lot of talent at the top end of their rosters and a lot of depth to support their stars. With similarly constructed teams that play a similar game, it might come down to pure execution. It will be hard to top today’s bracket play, but the final may be the best game of the weekend.
