The scene at Cushing Field in Lowell, Mass., on April 7 was unforgettable.
When UMass Lowell's Noelle Lambert entered the game for the Riverhawks, it was a moment that she would cherish forever. After enduring a moped accident in the summer of 2016, which resulted in Lambert's left leg being amputated, she returned to game action when the team faced off against Hartford.
When Lambert took to the field, the crowd gave her loud cheers of support. But the best part? She scored. And her teammates went nuts.
In her first game back since having her leg amputated following an accident in 2016, UMass Lowell junior Noelle Lambert scored this goal! #SCTop10
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) April 7, 2018
(via @RiverHawkWLax)pic.twitter.com/hyw9tTY6d7
For more on Lambert's incredible story, click here.
Here are seven more of the best storylines so far in this college lacrosse season:
Take a trip down memory lane back to Feb. 16 and 17 when things got a little crazy. Six ranked teams lost in one weekend, serving as a precursor to what else would come this unpredictable lacrosse season.
Here's the full breakdown of ranked teams that lost on Friday and Saturday of that weekend.
| Ranked teams to lose Feb. 16 & 17 |
|---|
| No. 1 Duke def. No. 3 Denver, 15-12 |
| No. 15 Villanova def. No. 5 Yale, 10-9 (OT) |
| No. 4 Albany def. No. 7 Syracuse, 15-3 |
| No. 12 Loyola def. No. 8 Johns Hopkins, 15-2 |
| No. 13 Army def. No. 11 Rutgers, 9-7 |
| Quinnipiac def. No. 18 Brown, 12-11 (OT) |
Even though this weekend may not have made a huge impact when it comes to rankings and postseason play, it was certainly entertaining.
A little March Madness magic was brought to the lacrosse field in April. After the UMBC men’s basketball team took down No. 1 Virginia in the NCAA tournament, the Retrievers defeated another No. 1 in lacrosse.
Tell us if you've heard this one before: UMBC pulls off the stunning upset against the No. 1 team in the country!
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) April 7, 2018
The Retrievers upset No. 1 Albany, 11-7, to defeat a top ranked team for the first time since 1998 on the lacrosse field. #NCAALAX pic.twitter.com/16SJiSCozW
On April 6, UMBC took down Albany 11-7 in an America East clash before 961 fans at UMBC Stadium.
RELATED: 7 records that could be broken this season
Any college lacrosse fans would agree that seeing the game expanded is always exciting.
In its inaugural season, Arizona State has a 6-10 record. But the Sun Devils got off to a hot start with five wins in their first six games and the future looks bright, as the team is led by former Maryland star Courtney Martinez Connor.
An addition to the Liberty lacrosse team
The Liberty women’s lacrosse team got a special roster addition this season.
The squad officially added seven-year-old Lola Danos, who is battling lymphoma. On March 31, Danos joined the lacrosse team during their game against Presbyterian. Danos even made the team program and cheered on the sidelines during the Flames' win.
Currently ranked No. 12 in the Inside Lacrosse poll, the Bison have proved the team means business this year.
The reason behind their success? The senior class.
A simple team meeting, which ignited a new mission for the squad, has helped Bucknell become one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
Courtney Murphy sets new record
Redshirt senior Courtney Murphy broke the NCAA Division I record for career goals on April 6 when the Seawolves defeated Hartford 21-3.
SHE'S DONE IT!
— Stony Brook WLAX (@StonyBrookWLAX) April 5, 2018
Courtney Murphy (@c_murffff) scores her 290th career goal, setting the new NCAA Division I career record!#SeawolvesUnited | #NCAALAX | #AEWLAX pic.twitter.com/SOWNBKhFe4
Top-ranked Stony Brook is having an impressive season and is on track to set three offensive team records.
Gators, Buffs unite to honor Julia Sarcona
Colorado tragically lost senior Julia Sarcona in January after her Subaru Forester crashed into a tree on Colorado Highway 119 west of Boulder. She was 21.
When Florida played Colorado back in February, both teams made sure to honor the life and spirit of Sarcona.
Opening draw between @CUBuffsWLax and @GatorsLAX in 30 minutes. Although the teams have never played each other, they already share a bond through the recent death of Colorado senior Julia Sarcona.
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) February 11, 2018
READ: https://t.co/PSLK1brHQv
WATCH: https://t.co/5Wd3jjiWHz pic.twitter.com/XCGCG05t9h
The Gators wore special wristbands in honor of Sarcona during the game. Both teams gathered the weekend prior to paint a mural in Sarcona's honor on the 34th Street Wall that borders Florida's campus.
The teams also remembered Sarcona by wearing T-shirts and patches with Sarcona's No. 15 on them.
