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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) (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel) led RIT with four goals two caused turnovers and two ground balls.
Ashley Pezze (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) (Guilderland, NY) had two goals, two caused turnovers and a ground ball.
Kelsey Evans (Carlisle, PA/Cumberland Valley) (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/Penn Yan Academy) (Penn Yan, NY),
Allie Coppola (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) (Orchard Park, NY) and
Allyson Pisher (Holley, NY/Holley) (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.