Women's Lacrosse handed first loss of 2026 after falling to Colby Sawyer

Fitchburg, Mass. – The Fitchburg State Women's Lacrosse team fell short to the Chargers of the Colby Sawyer this afternoon in a non-conference tilt from Elliot Field, with a final score of 13-11.

How it happened:

The Falcons showed fight from the opening draw, with senior midfielder Jessica St. George (Dracut, MA) putting Fitchburg on the board early in the first quarter. After additional tallies from Paige Marchand (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Nola Patty (Ashburnham, Mass.), the Falcons briefly seized momentum before the Chargers escorted the next three straight goals, and found themselves trailing 4–3 at the end of the first. 

The second quarter continued with more back-and-forth action as Fitchburg continued to generate quality offense. Samantha Azzari (Haverhill, Mass.) brought the Falcons closer by converting a feed from Kiley McFadden (Tewksbury, Mass.), and Hannah Azzari (Haverhill, Mass.) later added another key goal to keep pressure on the visitors. While Colby-Sawyer pieced together a run late in the half, the Falcons' attack remained active heading into halftime down 9–6 but firmly within striking distance.

Fitchburg State came out of the break with renewed energy, highlighted by a milestone moment for Jessica St. George, who recorded her 200th career draw control. The Falcons capitalized on that momentum as Nevaeh Chiacchia (Monson, Mass.) and Layne Thomason (Hudson, Mass.) delivered back-to-back goals to narrow the gap. Thomason struck again late in the third quarter, and Fitchburg's defensive pressure helped keep the Chargers from fully pulling away, setting up a tense final period with the Falcons trailing by just two.

In the fourth quarter, Fitchburg refused to back down. After Colby-Sawyer extended its lead, the Falcons answered with a strong finish from Hannah Azzari off a helper from Noelle Kennedy (West Roxbury, Mass.), followed by a late goal from St. George that kept hope alive in the closing minutes. Despite the spirited comeback bid and a gritty all-around performance, Fitchburg State ultimately fell 13–11. Still, the Falcons' resilience—combined with St. George's milestone day—provided clear positives as the team looks ahead to its next contest.

Inside the numbers: 

• Hannah Azzari (Haverhill, Mass.) led all players with 3 goals on a team-high 6 shots, pacing the Fitchburg State offense.

• Noelle Kennedy (West Roxbury, Mass.) recorded a game-high 4 assists, driving the Falcons' ball movement.

• Nevaeh Chiacchia (Monson, Mass.) dominated the draw circle with 5 draw controls, the most on the team.

• Caitlin Persson (Worcester, Mass.) and Dakin Kovatch (White River Junction, Vt.) combined for 15 saves in goal to keep Fitchburg within reach.

• Makenzie Alicea (Northbridge, Mass.) anchored the defense with 3 caused turnovers and 2 ground balls, both team-best marks defensively.

Up Next:

Falcons return to action after March Break on Wednesday, March 18th,  as they travel to Rivier University to face the Raiders in a non-conference tilt, starting at 6:00PM.

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