West Palm Beach, Fla. – The Ithaca women's lacrosse team (1-1) went ahead 12-9 on five-straight second-half goals, but it was not enough as Rensselaer (3-1) outlasted the Bombers, 13-12, in overtime on Wednesday afternoon in the City Place division championship game of Spring Fling.
After five consecutive Ithaca scores over the course of seven and a half minutes, RPI tallied three straight, including the game-tying goal with six seconds lingering on the game clock, to send the game to overtime. The Engineers tallied the only goal of the extra six minutes at the 3:07 mark to secure the victory.
RPI jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Ithaca responded to knot the game at 2-2. The Bombers continued to play catch-up until two consecutive unassisted scores by sophomore
Tracy Rivas (East Meadow/East Meadow) put Ithaca ahead, 5-4, with 2:05 remaining in the first frame of action. The Engineers scored just 17 seconds later to send the game to intermission with the score tied, 5-5.
The squads each recorded seven second-half goals to force the extra period. Rensselaer again opened the half with a pair of scores but senior
Ali DeCirce (Binghamton/Binghamton) responded with the first of her team-high tying hat trick to bring the Bombers within one. RPI scored two of the next three to take a 9-7 lead at the 10-minute mark of regulation.
Ithaca freshman
Katie Long (Ithaca/Ithaca) recorded her first collegiate goal on a free position shot to tip-off five straight Ithaca scores. Sophomore
Kim Armbruster (Montville/Boonton, N.J.) followed with a free position goal of her own just 23 seconds later to tie the game at 9-9 before
Rivas notched her third score of the day to put the Bombers in front. Junior
Nicole Borisenok (Albany Academy for Girls/Watervliet) scored at 3:34 before
DeCirce found the back of the net a minute later for a 12-9 advantage.
RPI tallied three goals over the final 2:06 of regulation to force overtime.
Ithaca sophomore
Jess Worthman (Hauppauge/Commack) suffered the loss in goal, making five saves.
The Bombers outshot RPI, 30-24, and scooped up 11 ground balls to the Engineers' six. Ithaca made good on 13 of 15 clears.
Ithaca will play its home opener on Tuesday, March 22 against Buffalo State at 4 p.m.
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