AURORA, NY - All of the world's greatest stories must one day come to an end. For most, the finish is a major factor in determining how a story will be remembered. The final chapter is widely regarded as arguably the most important, and if that is truly the case, then the people of Wells College could not ask for a more fitting, more perfect conclusion to the 157 year story of their humble school in Central New York. 

On Saturday, May 4th 2024, the Wells College Express competed in the final athletics contest of their 157 year existence. The match was a truly magnificent one, a complete and total 19-7 victory over Mount Aloysius to secure the 2024 AMCC Women's Lacrosse Championship in a game that will be forever etched into the memories of everyone in attendance. Especially since the Championship match was held right in Aurora, at the Wells College Turf Complex. On the sunny Saturday morning up at the turf, Express fans, families, friends, and athletes both past and present attended the culmination of 157 years of Wells College Athletics history and witnessed as the final line of the college's story was written over the 60 minute curtain call. At the end of it all, if that final match was indeed the last tale to be told of the Express, then all the Express faithful can hold their head high knowing that their final chapter ends with a glorious declaration: 2024 AMCC Conference Champions. 

Although the Mounties were an excellent challenger for the AMCC crown and a massive threat to the Express in their quest for AMCC glory, the women of Wells understood the moment and were perhaps destined to not experience defeat - any other day maybe, but not that day. 

Wells achieved victory through the up-tempo style of play that they've been known for this season, falling just 1 goal short of the 20 goal mark and pouring it on the Mounties early and often. The Express shot out to a 4-0 lead through the first quarter, putting their foot down and displaying their determination to a tough Mount Aloysius squad. The Mounties didn't back down following that first quarter though, following a quick Express goal with 2 of their own to cut the deficit to 3 at 5-2. Some late-half heroics from Isabella Ciancio and Jade Epp put the Express back on top at 7-2, but another Mounties score gave the opposition an opportunity to battle back into the proceedings with a late-half surge. The Mounties mustered a couple chances, including a gigantic free position attempt from their offensive dynamo in Katie Figinski. In what was a major moment for either team to secure momentum heading into halftime, Figinski lined up for the free position attempt and stared down the Express' senior stalwart goalie in Lauren Spiegel. With around a minute left in half number 1, Figinski took off and was enveloped by the quick reflexes of Spiegel, losing the ball to the Express goalkeeper and missing out on a prime opportunity to bring the Mounties back within 3 and bring the momentum back to their side. 

Instead, it was Jade Epp, one of the Express fantastic first years, who found the opposing cage with 8 seconds left in the 1st half to give the Express a monster 8-3 lead heading into the break. 

The energy seized from this late-half score was absolutely evident in the way Wells came out in the 2nd half, as the Express struck twice within the first 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter to extend their lead to 10-3. Wells first year star Logan Lomonaco, who was held in check for most of the first half, bounced back huge in the second half of the Championship match, turning the final 30 minutes into the Lomonaco-show by scoring 7 goals in the final half to KO the Mounties and bring the hardware home to Aurora one final time. 

The Express attack was led by Lomonaco, who cemented her place as the conference's premier offensive talent by using her 7 second half goals to power her way to the championship as well as an all-tournament team nod and the 2024 AMCC Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year. Lomonaco will end her spectacular season with 100 points, an incredible mark for a player in their debut collegiate season. The phenom from Binghamton, NY also racked up 68 goals and 32 assists, securing herself a tie at 36th in all of Division III for most goals scored. 

Also aiding Lomonaco in the Express' offensive explosion were a couple usual suspects in terms of forward firepower; Hannah Lamont and Lydia Thomas. Lamont and Thomas, who rounded out the all-tournament trio for Wells alongside Lomonaco, had great games in their own right during Saturday's championship. 

Lamont, who was named the Newcomer of the Year in the AMCC, found the cage 5 times in the AMCC Final and also pumped in an assist in yet another stunning performance for the Albany native. The most stunning part though, as per usual, was Lamont's fantastic work on the draw, securing an unbelievable 15 draw controls in the match. Lamont's 15 draw controls boosted her season total to an almost impossible 178, landing her in 3rd place for total draw controls in all of Division III. Lamont also ranked 3rd in the entire country for draw controls per game with 10.47, masterful marks for the first year who has a very bright future wherever her journey takes her next.

For Thomas, this journey was her final one, an amazing ending to the sparkling career of the Express' senior star. Thomas, in her 48th time donning the big red W, did a little bit of everything in the AMCC Final, logging 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 ground balls, and 2 draw controls. Thomas began the championship match by scoring the opening goal of the proceedings, paving the way for her worthy underclassmen to dominate play just as she's done all season for this Express squad with players at all different stages of their careers. Thomas may have seen the sun finally set on her historic career, but she made sure that the final scenes of her in the Express' red and white will forever be moments of triumph. 

The Express' senior leadership extends far beyond just Thomas though, with Julia Barnwell, Isabella Ciancio, and Grace Kahl also providing lots of stability and scoring throughout the historic 2024 season. Barnwell and Ciancio were both extremely valued presences in front of the net this season, with Barnwell scoring 23 and assisting 11, and Ciancio procuring 19 goals and 3 assists. Kahl was featured in many roles this year, providing help wherever the Express needed, however usually slotting in on offense where she scored 3 goals and had 5 assists. 

Despite all of this senior starpower, there was one more veteran that held things down in 2024, as senior goalkeeper Lauren Spiegel had an amazing season in her own right, placing highly in many Division III categories including save %, a category where she ends at 3rd in all of Division III with a 53.2% save %. Spiegel also led the AMCC conference in almost all goaltending statistics, save for a couple columns that were topped by fantastic first year backup Taelor Cid who, despite spending the majority of the year behind Spiegel in the depth chart, showcased an equally dominant save % in net, saving shots at a 69.4% rate, but not logging enough minutes to rank nationally.

Spiegel and Cid were surrounded on defense by a spectacular unit comprised of multiple all-conference talents in junior Lexi Carfi and first year Mariah Stephens as well as other impact players such as first years Mya Chickering and Sophie Dorado. Carfi and Stephens put in great work in the AMCC final, notching 2 and 3 caused turnovers respectively. Carfi commanded a young unit comprised of composed first years who along with Spiegel and Cid, allowed the LEAST goals per game in all of Division III at 4.47 goals allowed per game. 

First year talent was plentiful on offense too, with debut collegiate players scoring 173 of the Express' 288 goals on the year, paired with 69 of the 118 total assists on the year. For a first year group with this kind of output, should they find a way to stay together as a unit wherever they may go next, they should be a fearsome challenger for even the greatest of teams, especially if they can bring the majority of their underclassmen (including sophomore draw specialist Olivia Garcia and utility player Login Abudalla) to a new program and continue right where they left off. 

To round out the AMCC Championship, the Express as a team outdrew Mount Aloysius 22-5, outshot them 45-17, and outscored them 17-9 to bring home the final piece of hardware in Wells College history on the fateful Saturday morning. 

Even though the final resting place of said hardware may still be a mystery, there is no doubt that this Express team who finishes the 2024 season at 16-1 will be kept alive in the many journeys awaiting it's young core of stars.

All stories must come to an end, but is there really any better way to end a 157 year story full of rich history, than with the final line reading: Champions

2024 AMCC All-Tournament Team:

5 Lydia Thomas

2 Logan Lomonaco 

9 Hannah Lamont

2024 AMCC Yearly Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Logan Lomonaco

Newcomer of the Year: Hannah Lamont

Coach of the Year: Vic Goeller

2024 AMCC All-Conference Selections

2 Logan Lomonaco

5 Lydia Thomas

8 Lexi Carfi

9 Hannah Lamont

20 Jade Epp

25 Mariah Stephens

33 Lauren Spiegel

GO EXPRESS

FOREVER WELLS