Another Sixth Street women’s lacrosse battle is in the books and the No. 10 Sagehens continue to reign supreme. Since the 2020 season, the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) Sagehens have won 12 straight games against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athenas. The most recent contest on Wednesday, March 5, which came down to the final seconds, ended in an eventual overtime goal from Chloe Denhart PO ’27 to give the Sagehens a 12 to 11 victory.
The match was tied at 10 different points, with CMS’s 4 to 2 lead early in the second quarter being the only instance of a multiple-goal advantage all night. Though P-P would take their first lead of the game late in the third quarter, it seemed like the Athenas were about to outlast their No. 10 rival with 20 seconds to go in regulation.
It was then that the ball ended up in the possession of River Buechner PO ’26, the same player who scored the game-tying goal with only eight seconds remaining in last year’s overtime victory for the Sagehens.
“I feel in a game where everything hasn’t necessarily gone right for me, this is something I can do; something I’m good at,” Buechener said.
Buchener’s goal with 18.5 seconds on the clock sent the game into overtime and Denhart got the ball 20 seconds into the period. Rhyan Goozh PO ’27 checked Summer Matsik CM ’28, forcing a turnover, picking up the ground ball and throwing it in Denhart’s direction. While she could not corral in the pass, Denhart was able to scoop the ball off the turf and run through a swarm of Athena defenders all the way to the net. As she sent a shot toward the cage, she was tripped from behind.
The shot was saved by Holly Shankle CM ’25, but a whistle for the trip gave Denhart a free position shot. After six steps in, Denhart twisted her stick back and sent the ball over Shankle’s shoulder for the game-winner.
Denhart explained how she stopped thinking and let instinct and ability take over.
“I see a goal open and there’s not much time left so I just went to goal,” Denhart said.
Denhart sprinted to the sidelines, where she was met in celebration by all of her teammates. The win moved the Sagehens into first place in SCIAC and to 5-0 overall this season. With the loss, the Athenas dropped to 3-3 overall and second in the league.
Top scorers on the day included Grace Minturn CM ’26 and Kaia Scott CM ’28 for the Athenas, who each contributed three goals and an assist. For the Sagehens, Buechner and captain Shoshi Henderson PO ’25 each had a pair of goals and assists, and Callie Cross PZ ’28 led the team with three goals.
Denhart emphasized that while the offensive accomplishments are often celebrated, it was the defense that propelled the Sagehens.
“Defense wins games, always,” Denhart said. “Our defense played really strong. And despite bumps in the road, we were working really hard the whole time.”
In net for the Athenas, Shankle went 14 to 26 on saves and kept her team in the game late, shutting the Sagehens down on the doorstep time and time again. But the defensive power of the Hens helped get them the win. Goozh and Denhart forced four turnovers apiece and Izzy Sabatino PO ’26 forced three more.
For the Sagehen seniors, the game also propelled their record against their Sixth Street rivals to 11-0. Captain Hannah Gough PO ’25 explained how this meant a lot not only for her class but for the program in general.
“Rivalry games always have a special energy and feel; it’s the games [where] the most people come out to watch so we definitely play our hearts out and give it everything we have,” Gough said. “For the senior class to have never lost to CMS is just so hype and brings a lot of energy to the program.”
Despite this dominant record for P-P, the last four seasons have still featured three overtime battles between the two squads. According to Gough, the frequent face-offs meant CMS has had the chance to closely study the Sagehens’ style of play.
“That makes it harder to keep beating them,” Gough said.
Buechner credited her team for being able to pull through in all the close games.
“The energy for those games is always crazy and it does end up coming down to the wire probably more than I would like it to,” Buechner said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve never seen a team rally so hard.”
The Sagehen crowd, filling in right before halftime, supported their classmates despite the rain. Their efforts did not go unnoticed by Gough.
“Just a huge shout-out to the fans who came and stood in the rain for parts or all of the game — we appreciate you so much,” Gough said.
The Sagehens and Athenas both continue SCIAC play in their next games. P-P returns to action at home on Friday, March 7, against Occidental College, while CMS will travel to Whittier College on Saturday, March 8.
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