It’s shaping up to be a crowded sprint to the finish, and this weekend was the clearest sign yet that Syzygy's throne, comfortable as it looks, is not uncontested.
March 27, 2026 by Bridget Mizener in Recap
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SEATTLE, WA — The women’s division just got all shook up.
Not by the final, mind you. #1 Carleton Syzygy dispatched #6 Washington Element 15-11 to extend their undefeated streak to 19, claiming their second consecutive Northwest Challenge title and solidifying their grip on the division one-seed. Syz on top: no surprise there for anyone who’s been following along this year.
It was the path to the final that told the real story. Carleton was the only top-four team to even reach the semis. A final featuring the no.1 and no.7 seeds (and the trail of upset results that produced it) is a snapshot of a division that is meaningfully compressing at the top. Washington is peaking. The East Coast is back — Tufts is a semis contender again and UNC is, too? And it’s not like the other heavyweights (UBC, Stanford) look bad, either.
It’s shaping up to be a crowded sprint to the finish, and this weekend was the clearest sign yet that Syzygy’s throne, comfortable as it looks, is not uncontested.
Syzygy, Undeterred
Yes, the weekend ended with another Carleton victory. But the undercurrent is different. As the rest of the division served notice that the gap is closing, Syzygy answered back.
Element made a real go of it early. After a Syz pass sailed to the turf on the first point — one of many offensive miscues for Carleton this weekend — Lauren Goddu pounced for an Element break right out of the gates.
It didn’t last. Here is the thing about Carleton’s O-line: they give up the disc plenty. But their defense when they do is absolutely vicious, and they almost always force the turn. This was one of very few exceptions. That turnover-recovery-hold is central to Syzygy’s offense, and it’s what makes them so punishing to play against.
“It’s just, like, get it back,” said Kyliah McRoy. Simple in theory, yes. But harder than it looks for most teams not named Syzygy.
What makes it possible is the lead they get, the break or two they accumulate early on. One big factor in those breaks this weekend was Matilda Pro, who played above her weight class1 all weekend.
“She’s actually 5’2″ and she plays 5’10”,” said Naomi Fina. Even when guarding much bigger players, she virtually never got exposed. Her coverage on Mika Kurahashi in the quarter was some of the stickiest you’ll find. In this game, she blanketed Savanna Tucker early and threw in a diving layout grab to break for 5-3 for good measure.
With a bit of a margin, Carleton had the cushion they needed to keep their O-line stacked and fresh, which means their O-line defense — already the best in the country — could operate at full capacity for the rest of the game.
We did see flashes of Washington’s potent deep game, like when Goddu put up a moonball to Tucker, who boxed out Chloe Hakimi to make it 5-4. Element has some legitimate weapons downfield; when the disc gets there, they are a genuine threat.
The problem was getting it there. Carleton took away the deep threats where Washington’s playmakers do their real damage, forcing Lucy Tanner and the Element backfield into a grinding possession game. Turns accumulated. A couple of breaks later it was 8-5, and the hole was getting deep.
From there, Fina, Hakimi, and Chagall Gelfand did what they do in the attacking third: jab steps, insides, buttonhooks, give-and-goes, the disc out of their hand before the target comes out of their break.
Even in the game’s latest stages, Syz’s foot never came off the gas. Anna Pettis blew up Fina on an under at 9-7 and briefly it looked like Washington had an opening. It was not to be. Gelfand snuffed out a hopeful Element swing and like that, the opening closed. Carleton held, and the outcome was no longer really in doubt. Final score: 15-11.
For Washington, this was proof that their trajectory is as steep and their ceiling as high as that of last year’s semis team — or higher. Whether it soars all the way to a title is the question that will follow them into May. (More on them below.) For Carleton, this was confirmation: those 19 previous victories were indeed not a fluke. They finish the regular season undefeated. Their offense could stand to get a little cleaner, but in their current state they are good enough to consistently beat the division’s best.
Ascendant Element
height class? ↩
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