SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's lacrosse team held off a late Clarkson charge, clinching a Liberty League postseason berth for the fourth straight season after a 13-11 victory at Wachenheim Field on a warm Friday afternoon.
 
Skidmore (10-5, 6-2 Liberty League) is currently in third place in the league standings. The Thoroughbreds have won 10 games for the fourth straight season. Clarkson (10-5, 4-4 Liberty League) sits in a three-way tie for fifth place with two games to go.
 
Caz Swajkowski had one of her best games of the season, tying a season-high with five goals. She also tallied a season-best nine draw controls. Amanda Orvis also had a season-best day, tallying a hat-trick, adding an assist for four points. Marissa Caponi also tallied a hat-trick. Lilla Seymour and Natalie LaBeau added goals, while LaBeau, Emily Hirsch, and Amanda Cagnassola added assists. On the defensive end, Cagnassola added three caused turnovers, with LaBeau adding two.
 
Caroline Kenlon was stellar in cage, making a career-high 16 saves. Kenlon was especially solid defending at eight-meters, as she held Clarkson to just six makes out of 19 free-position chances. She also added six ground balls.
 
Jaid Baytos led Clarkson with five points on four goals and one assist. Katie Sergeant would add three goals. Samantha Gladd would make seven saves in the loss, playing the first 38:42 of the contest. Carolynn Pechmann would make two saves in relief.
 
Baytos would get Clarkson an early lead in the first 49 seconds of regulation, converting on a free position attempt. The Thoroughbreds would answer nearly a minute later, taking advantage of the man-advantage as LaBeau fed Szwajkowski for the goal. Sergeant would give Clarkson the 2-1 lead with her shot from inside the circle at 24:41. Off the draw, LaBeau won it and quickly fed Orvis, who would beat a few Clarkson defenders and score 17 seconds later. Clarkson would take a 3-2 lead, its last, on a low Baytos goal at 18:30.
 
Skidmore would respond with goals by Caponi and Orvis 16 seconds apart, sparking a 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead. Baytos would break the Skidmore run, tallying her third of the game at the 7:24 mark. The Golden Knights would have a pair of chances to draw closer leading into the half, but Kenlon parried away a Baytos free position shot, as well as a last second Taylor Collins shot, as Skidmore took a 6-4 lead into the half.
 
Skidmore quickly struck in the first 32 seconds of the second half, with Caponi getting her second of the game, on a feed from Orvis. Clarkson would respond with a pair of goals 1:28 apart to bring the deficit to one, at 7-6. LaBeau would break the run at 24:53, scoring on a free-position chance to increase the lead to two. On the ensuing draw, Szwajkowski would win the ball, racing downfield and launching a deep shot from long range, beating the Clarkson goalie high for her 32^nd goal of the season. The two goals, 10 seconds apart, would give Skidmore a 9-6 lead. The Thoroughbreds would complete the 3-0 run after Orvis' third goal of the game, with Skidmore taking its largest lead of the game at 10-6.
Clarkson would try to mount a comeback, getting two straight goals to cut the lead in half, 10-8. After Szwajkowski broke the run with a free position goal, Clarkson would answer with a goal of its own, as Skidmore held an 11-9 lead at 14:53 mark. Skidmore would once again pull to a four-point lead (13-9) after a pair of Szwajkowski goals, but Clarkson would get two, once again cutting the lead in half, with 3:17 to go in regulation. The Golden Knights would not take a shot for the rest of the game, as the Skidmore defense caused two turnovers to hold Clarkson at bay.
 
Clarkson outshot Skidmore by a 34-26 margin. The Thoroughbreds would win 14 of 25 draws, and went 5-for-7 in free position shots. Clarkson went 18-for-19 in clears, while Skidmore went 15-for-24.
 
The Thoroughbreds will host St. Lawrence in the final home game of the regular season. Skidmore will honor its seniors, Caponi, Emily Schlicht, and Taylor Goodwill after the contest, which begins at 3 p.m.