SENIOR MOMENT: Ali Surace, center, is all smiles as she takes the field for her Senior Day ceremony with the Columbia University women’s lacrosse team, joined by her mother Lisa, the Princeton Day School Associate Head of School and her father Bob, the Princeton University football head coach. Surace went on to enjoy a memorable college finale, helping Columbia edge visiting Harvard 11-10 in overtime as the Lions earned their first Ivy League win since 2019. (Photo provided courtesy of Columbia Athletics)

By Bill Alden

For Ali Surace, it was a Hollywood ending that took place in upper Manhattan.

Playing in her final game for the Columbia University women’s lacrosse team, former Princeton Day School standout Surace helped the Lions edge visiting Harvard 11-10 in overtime at the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on April 25 as the Lions earned their first Ivy League win since 2019.

Coming into the spring, Columbia was determined to snap a 32-game losing streak in the Ivy play as its last win in league action came with a 15-14 win over Harvard on April 6, 2019.

“Every year we have had some pretty big goals of doing well in the Ivy League, it is such a hard league to win in,” said star defender Surace, who also played soccer and basketball at PDS. “We always do pretty well in out of conference but it was to dominate those teams and then to get
an Ivy League win.”

As the Lions prepped for the 2026 season, Surace sensed that the program was headed in the right direction.

“I feel like every year we have gotten better,” said Surace. “We had high hopes for this year that it would all come together. We had such a strong senior class too. Now that we are seniors and we are leading the team, we felt really good about it.”

Columbia got off to a really good start this spring as it won four of its first five games.

“We definitely were feeling really good and we had some pretty big wins,” said Surace, pointing to a 19-10 win over Lafayette on February 18 as a big confidence builder. “I think that really set the tone for the year, feeling really good. Our team was also so close this year; that camaraderie was really fun.”

While Columbia fell 16-6 to No. 12 Yale on March 7 in its Ivy opener, Surace was encouraged.

“We were so ready to take on our first Ivy team,” said Surace. “I think sometimes in the past there was some fear, playing some of these really good teams. This year, that wasn’t the energy at all; it was like this is the year that we are going to do it. We are not afraid of Yale, we can take on Yale.”

In early April, the Lions nearly achieved their Ivy breakthrough as they fell 13-12 to Brown.

“Brown was the turning point of we can actually do this,” said Surace of the game, which saw the Lions score two unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to knot the contest at 12-12 before falling as the Bears scored wth six seconds left in regulation. “We are not just sticking with an Ivy League team but we can beat one. Brown has always been a game where we haven’t done that well so to have such a close game against them was so amazing.”

Heading into the Harvard game, Surace believed the Lions were in position to end the season on a high note.

“It was just leave it all out there, it is our last chance,” said Surace.“This is our last time playing lacrosse in college. For all of the younger girls, it was their last time playing for the seniors. Our game plan was to really push out on them on defense. It is my favorite game plan, I love going at the attackers versus just waiting for them to attack you. Both Harvard and Brown were fun games for me because I was really able to push out in my matchup and try to cause some turnovers.”

The battle-tested Surace, who became a starter as a freshman, was primed to push her fellow defenders.

“This year, I definitely had to step up as the leader of the defense,” said Surace, who totaled 61 ground balls and 35 caused turnovers in her Columbia career including 19 ground balls and nine caused turnovers this spring. “As a four-year starter, I have had the most experience on the defensive end to really be that person to guide and direct my teammates. My role shifted from focusing on my own play and now focusing on everyone else around me. That was a big shift. I just tried to work in the offseason to be as good as I could be and to be so confident with my footwork so when I was playing the game, I could just focus on every other person.”

As the Lions took the field against Harvard, they brought an intense focus, looking to snap the Ivy losing streak that stood at 38 coming into the afternoon.

“The energy was so high and the whole time we were just cheering each other on and really determined to win,” said Surace. “That was definitely a fun game. We had a big focus too for all of our huddles in between goals. We really hyped each other up to play together. The mentality was we are going to do this, we are going to win. There was no other alternative really in our minds.”

The matchup turned into a back and forth affair. After the rivals were tied 6-6 at halftime, Columbia jumped out to a 9-6 lead midway through the third quarter. Harvard then reeled off a 4-1 run to make it 10-10 and force overtime. With 2:17 left in overtime, the Lions got a goal from Anna Becker to earn their breakthrough triumph.

Unsurprisingly, things didn’t come easy for Columbia in the OT.

“It was great too because the play before that, we lost the draw so we had to make a stop on defense so we could go and score,” said Surace, who had one ground ball and one caused turnover in the victory.

“It was definitely nerve-wracking. That was a huge moment for us to make that stop on defense. That made it that much more harder and much more exciting to win the game. Then the girl who scored it has worked so hard this year. She has scored that goal on us a thousand times in practice.”

The goal set off a heartfelt celebration. “The emotions were high, everyone was crying,” said Surace, reflecting on the win which left the Lions with an overall record of 7-8 and 1-6 Ivy, a major improvement on the 4-11 mark posted in 2025. “It was a great win and the perfect way to end my college career. We feel good to be leaving the younger girls with that. I think the biggest thing was just getting over the hump and winning an Ivy League game. Now that they know they can do it, that just takes the pressure off of them for next year. Every year we have seen a lot of improvement and this year it came together in a nice way.”

Reflecting on her four years at Columbia, things came together on and off the field for Surace.

“I had an amazing experience at Columbia, I loved every part of it,” said Surace. “I think it was so special to be in New York City and have that experience. One of my favorite parts about Columbia is that you are standing in the middle of campus and there are lawns and it is quiet and you don’t even feel like you are in the city. But then you are so close to so many things and so many opportunities. I love exploring all of the neighborhoods, spending time in Central Park and going to Yankees games. Then being on a team where all of those girls were my best friends and getting to spend time exploring a new city with them was really special.”

This month, Surace will be exploring a new city as she is moving to Los Angeles to start a job with Sequence Equity, a sports private equity firm.

“I am just so excited to be working in sports,” said Surace, whose mother, Lisa, played soccer at Princeton University while her father, Bob, was an All-Ivy League center for the Tiger football team and has been the head coach of the program since the 2010 season. “I am so passionate about that and grew up in such a sports world. I am feeling very good about it.”

As Surace works in LA near Hollywood, she won’t soon forget that special late April afternoon in Manhattan and the perfect ending to her college sports career.