NEWBERG, Ore. – Whitman College defeated Willamette University 10-6 on Sunday to capture the 2026 Northwest Conference Women’s Lacrosse Tournament title at the Austin Sports Complex.
The win secured the first conference championship in program history for Whitman. The NWC began sponsoring women’s lacrosse in 2015, with the conference tournament introduced in 2024.
After a 4-4 tie at halftime, Whitman pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring Willamette 4-0 to take control of the game. Emily Odegaard opened the scoring in the period before consecutive goals from Lola McConaghy and a free-position goal by Serafin Miller extended the lead to 8-4.
Whitman held a 3-2 advantage after the first quarter, with goals from McConaghy, Lindsey Pasena-Littlesky, and Molly Labhart. Willamette responded in the second quarter, as Claire Kisielnicki scored twice and Alex Warfel added a late goal to even the score at the break.
Willamette cut the deficit to 8-5 early in the fourth quarter, but Whitman answered with a goal from McConaghy before both teams traded late scores.
McConaghy finished with three goals to lead all scorers, while Ellie Milesi added two goals and one assist. Miller recorded one goal, one assist, and five draw controls. Grace Galanes contributed one goal and four ground balls, and goalkeeper Renn Novak made nine saves.
For Willamette, Kisielnicki and Warfel each scored two goals, while goalkeeper Olivia Austin totaled eight saves.
Whitman finished with advantages in shots (26-15), draw controls (12-6), and ground balls (25-20). With the win, Whitman improved to 13-6 overall and earned the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship, with the field to be announced Monday, May 4th.