On Saturday, No. 17 women’s lacrosse (8-3, 3-1 Ivy) delivered a decisive Senior Day win against Columbia (4-8, 0-4 Ivy). Buoyed by standout performances from a number of seniors, Brown dominated the game 19-5 in front of a packed home crowd.
The win marked the Bears’ third consecutive victory in Ivy League play, solidifying their position as a top contender in the conference.
Commenting on the exceptional performance of her fellow seniors, Greta Criqui ’25 sees the season as an enduring legacy for the team.
“This class has grown in countless ways over the course of our careers,” she wrote in an email to The Herald. “We have grown as leaders, people and players, and we have set a standard of excellence that will leave a lasting impact on Brown Women’s Lacrosse.”
Brown controlled the game from the opening face-off, as Leah Caputo ’25 and Annie Burton ’25 combined to claim an early 2-0 lead. As the quarter continued, the teams traded goals before Criqui netted her first one of the afternoon, pushing Bruno’s lead to 4-1.
The second quarter was more of the same. Brown exploded for seven goals, including two from Maddie Joyce ’25, who led all players with four goals, and another from Criqui. Of those seven goals, Burton assisted on three of them.
Burton’s six assists brought her season total to 40, surpassing the 38 she amassed in 2024. Those 40 assists rank second all-time for a single season in program history, and her 87 career assists also rank second. Burton trails only Lauren Becker ’87 in both categories.
Riley Peterson ’28 added two goals before halftime, and the Bears took a commanding 11-3 advantage into the break.
The third quarter began with goals from Kiki Tormey ’26 and Joyce as Bruno’s lead ballooned to 10. After Columbia’s fourth goal of the afternoon cut the deficit back to single digits, Criqui and Peterson each scored less than a minute apart, giving them both hat tricks for the day.
Criqui’s goal brought her to 99 career goals, just one shy of triple digits. As she approaches such an impressive milestone, Criqui reflected on her college career.
“Over my time at Brown, I have grown not only as a player, but also as a person,” she added. “My time here has taught me lessons in leadership, teamwork, navigating challenges, overcoming adversity and more.”
Criqui also credited the new coaching staff, led by Head Coach Katrina Dowd, for the team’s excellent season thus far. “Getting a new coaching staff has had a positive impact on this program and has elevated our ability to compete with top-ranked teams,” she wrote.
Early in the fourth quarter, Caputo assisted Burton, bringing the score to 16-4. The assist marked Caputo’s 100th career point. At the next timeout, her teammates mobbed her in celebration.
“Reaching 100 points means a lot to me as it’s my fifth and final year at Brown,” Caputo wrote. “This one has especially been so exciting because of the group we have.”
“After losing some really impactful players last year, we’ve grown a lot and have had a lot of players stepping up as of recently,” she continued. “I think the milestone is a testament to that and how supportive my teammates are, whether that be hitting me with a feed or giving me a good cut to hit.”
For Caputo, who fought through a torn meniscus in 2024, the approaching end to her Brown lacrosse career is “bittersweet,” but the “chance to make history and get into the Ivy tournament is very exciting,” she noted.
Given the team’s recent performance, hopes for the tournament are exceptionally high. After the decisive win over Columbia, the Bears sit in second place in the Ivy League behind only No. 3 Princeton.
The Bears look to continue their strong play on Tuesday, when they visit Bryant in their final non-conference game of the season. They will return to Ivy play on Saturday, facing off against Dartmouth at 1 p.m.
Gus Bailey is a senior staff writer covering the sports beat. He is a sophomore studying applied math-economics. His interests include data analytics, marketing, social media and of course, sports.
