ITHACA, N.Y. – (March 31, 2012) – The No. 14 Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team dropped an 8-7 heartbreaker to Ithaca College on Saturday at Higgins Stadium in Ithaca, N.Y. The Bombers were able to score the game-winner with 6:11 to go and never allowed the Ducks regain possession to earn the victory. Stevens falls to 5-3 overall and 0-1 in the Empire 8, while the Bombers improve to 4-3 and 1-0 in the conference.
Ithaca jumped on top of the Ducks in the early going, notching four of the game's first five goals to open a 4-1 lead just 7:45 into the action. Sophomore Becky Guzzo (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), junior Tracy Rivas (East Meadow, N.Y.), junior Nikki Dahl (Penfield, N.Y.), and senior Nicole Borisenok (Watervilet, N.Y.) netted the Bomber tallies.
The early deficit did not faze the Ducks as they answered with three straight to tie the game at four-all with 9:33 left in the first. Sophomore midfielder Kara Rafferty (Bayshore, N.Y.) made it 4-2, converting a free-position attempt, with junior midfielder Spencer Waybright (West Hartford, Conn.) following with her 16th of the season thanks to a feed from junior midfielder Joey Galligan (Burlingame, Calif.). Sophomore attack Gabrielle Gordon (Flemington, N.J.) was next with a free-position goal for the equalizer.
Ithaca regained the lead with 6:34 left in the first, but senior attack Michelle Buonacuore (Medford, N.J.) answered with her second of the game to make it 5-5, and the two teams went to the intermission all tied up.
Ithaca opened the scoring in the second half with Guzzo getting her fifth of the year, but back-to-back tallies from Buonacuore and Galligan gave Stevens a 7-6 edge with 16:01 to play.
Rivas pulled Ithaca even with 11:57 on the clock and then gave the Bombers the lead at 8-7 with 6:11 left. The ensuing draw went to Ithaca, and the Ducks were unable to gain possession the rest of the way.
Ithaca has now handed the Ducks each of their last two regular-season Empire 8 defeats, the first coming on April 10, 2010.
Buonacuore had three goals, two ground balls and one draw control, while Rafferty had two points, three ground balls and two draws. Galligan finished with two points, two ground balls and one draw control, while senior defender Lindsay Daly (Northport, N.Y.) had three ground balls. Waybright had one goal, three ground balls and a team-high four draw controls.
Rivas had two goals and one assist to go along with five ground balls and two draw controls for Ithaca. Guzzo also had three points and two ground balls, with Dahl scoring once and scooping up five ground balls.
Ithaca ended with a 21-20 edge in shots and a 22-21 margin in ground balls. The Ducks won 10 of the game's 17 draw controls, but were 3-for-10 on free-position shots.
Junior Meg Collins (Marshfield, Mass.) made six saves in the loss, while her counterpart Jess Worthman (Ithaca, N.Y.) made nine stops.
Stevens will return to action on April 6 when it hosts Elmira College at the De Baun Athletic Complex. Opening draw is set for 4 p.m. and all the action will be webcast live at www.Empire8.tv.
