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HOBOKEN, NJ -- The RIT women's lacrosse team was defeated by St. John Fisher College 10-9 in the Empire 8 title game on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals scored the game-winning goal with 20 seconds to play in regulation. The loss drops RIT to 13-5 on the season.
RIT led 9-8 with 4:59 to play but the Cardinals rallied, scoring two goals in the final 3:29 to go on to the victory and the automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Tigers out shot the Cardinals 39-24 and won 11-of-21 draw controls. The ground ball battle was tied at 24-24 and RIT went 5-of-12 on free position tries.
Megan Henriksen (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel) led RIT with four goals two caused turnovers and two ground balls.
Ashley Pezze (Guilderland, NY) had two goals, two caused turnovers and a ground ball.
Kelsey Evans (Carlisle, PA/Cumberland Valley) took the hard-luck loss, allowing 10 goals and making 13 saves.
RIT trailed 3-1 early in the first half until a three-goal run by the Tigers gave them a 4-3 lead. RIT scored three more times in the first half and led 7-5 at the break.
Megan Henriksen scored three of her four goals in the fisrt half. Ashley Pezze,
Rebecca Lampson (Penn Yan, NY),
Allie Coppola (Orchard Park, NY) and
Allyson Pisher (Rochester, NY/Holley) also scored in the first half for RIT.
Pezze tallied an unassisted goal 2:24 into the second half to give RIT their largest lead of the game at 8-5.
The Cardinals rallied, scoring three straight goals, tying the score at 8-8 on a free position goal by Meg Merriam.
The score stayed tied until the 15:01 mark when Henriksen scored an unassisted goal to give RIT a 9-8 lead.
Jen Springett tied the score for St. John Fisher at 9-9 when she converted a free position shot with 3:29 to play in regulation.
Lauren Gavin scored the game winner with 20 second to play to seal the win for the Cardinals.