ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's lacrosse team (4-3, 1-0 Empire 8) outlasted the 14th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks (5-3, 0-1 Empire 8), 8-7, on Saturday afternoon at Higgins Stadium.
Junior
Tracy Rivas netted the game's final two scores and Ithaca maintained possession of the ball for the final six minutes of action to power to a one-goal victory over the nationally-ranked squad in both teams' Empire 8 opener.
The Bombers held an early 4-1 goal differential, but the Ducks responded to knot action at 4-4 with 9:33 left in the first half before entering halftime in a 5-5 deadlock. Ithaca went ahead less than two minutes into the second before Stevens put away back-to-back scores, but it was
Rivas' duo that finalized all scoring in Ithaca's favor.
Rivas was joined by junior
Kim Armbruster and sophomore
Becky Guzzo with two scores on the day.
Rivas,
Guzzo and senior
Nicole Borisenok each dished out one assist, while
Rivas and junior
Nikki Dahl scooped up five ground balls each.
Defensively, sophomore
Katie Long had a game-high three caused turnovers, while junior
Jess Worthman recorded the win in cage making nine saves.
The Bombers held a slight 21-20 advantage in shots and a narrow 22-21 edge in ground balls, while Stevens won 10 draw controls to Ithaca's seven.
Armbruster opened scoring just 2:32 into the game on a free position shot. After the Ducks tied it up,
Borisenok went unassisted,
Dahl netted a free position and
Rivas fed
Guzzo for a 4-1 Ithaca lead at 22:15. Stevens answered with a trio of its own of an eight-minute period.
Guzzo found
Armbruster to snap the tie at 6:34 but the Ducks implemented a 5-5 stalemate entering the break.
Scoring slowed in the second frame as the teams combined for just five scores.
Borisenok assisted
Guzzo, but Stevens scored twice to take its first lead of the game at the 16-minute mark. Four minutes passed before
Rivas tied up action at 7-7 and again went unassisted in scoring the game-winning goal at 6:11. She won the ensuing draw control to award the Bombers possession through the final buzzer.
The Bombers will next host Nazareth on Friday, April 6 at 4 p.m.
Box Score
