WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Amanda Effland (Frederick, Md./Frederick) tallied nine points and Kaitlyn Brown (Charlotte Hall, Md./La Plata) registered 10 saves as the top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College women's lacrosse rolled to a commanding 18-3 victory over third-seeded Thiel College in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship match Saturday afternoon at Alexandre Stadium. 

The victory completes a perfect 10-0 run for W&J against Presidents' Athletic Conference competition in 2021. Thiel finishes its season with a 7-3 record. 

W&J ripped off the first nine goals of the match and left no doubt in claiming its first PAC title in school history. The Presidents previously claimed conference titles as a member of the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference in 2016 and 2017.

Becca Ghion (Sutersville, Pa./Yough) found the back of the net, scoring off an assist from Sadie Firman (Richmond, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union) just 27 seconds into the match. 

Sarah Labovitz (Great Falls, Va./The Bullis School) and Aisa Uhler (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) combined to account for four of the next five goals, as the Presidents built a 6-0 advantage less than eight minutes into the match. Effland, Firman and Clara Sherwood (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) followed with consecutive scores to bolster the W&J lead to 9-0 at the 11:19 mark. 

A goal by Destiny Johnson with 9:25 to play in the half broke the scoring run for W&J. However, the Presidents tallied four more first half goals to take a 13-1 advantage into halftime. Effland played a factor in each of the final four first half goals, as the sophomore tallied three straight assists before scoring herself at the 2:25 mark of the first half. 

Five different Presidents accounted for the five second half goals. W&J outscored Thiel by a 5-2 margin over the final 30 minutes, which were quickened by a running clock due to the 10+ goal lead. 

Four different Presidents registered hat tricks in the tournament title victory. Effland paced the offense with three goals, six assists and three ground balls. Sherwood finished with three goals and five draw controls. Labovitz added three scores, five draw controls and three ground balls. Ghion also chipped in three goals as well. 

Jenkins was a force in the midfield as well. The freshman notched four points (2g, 2a) to go along with three draw controls, two caused turnovers and two ground balls. 

Brown, the top PAC goalkeeper in goals against average and save percentage, combined for 21 saves in two PAC Tournament games. 

Gabby Galla (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) led a defensive unit that thwarted the Tomcats efforts offensively. Galla tallied five caused turnovers and five ground balls in the win. 

W&J held advantages in shots (32-22), shots on goal (26-13), saves (10-8), ground balls (31-22) and draw controls (14-8). 

With the victory, the Presidents claim the conference's automatic-qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. The Presidents, who were ranked No. 2 in the most recent NCAA Division III Great Lakes regional ranking, will find out their NCAA fate early next week. The field for this year's Division III Championship is scheduled to be announced Monday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. (EDT). First and second round games are scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, May 8-9.

NOTES: Following the conclusion of the tournament, the PAC announced its All-Tournament Team and Most Outstanding Player. See below. 

Most Outstanding Player: 
Sophomore midfielder Sarah Labovitz (Great Falls, Va. | The Bullis School)

All-Tournament Team: 
Freshman goalkeeper Kaitlyn Brown (Charlotte Hall, Md. | La Plata)
Sophomore attack Amanda Effland (Frederick, Md. | Frederick)
Freshman midfielder Sofia Jenkins (Hughesville, Md. | The Calverton School)
Sophomore midfielder Sarah Labovitz (Great Falls, Va. | The Bullis School)
Junior midfielder Clara Sherwood (Indiana, Pa. | Indiana)