Box Score

UTICA, N.Y. (March 28, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team improved to 2-0 in the Empire 8 and 4-5 overall with an 11-10 win at Utica College Friday afternoon.
 
Host Utica fell to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference in defeat.
 
After Utica took a brief 5-4 lead early in the second half, the Ducks ripped off three scores over a span of 4:37 to open a 7-5 cushion with 23:21 left in the game. Utica came right back with two goals of its own to make it a 7-7 game with 21:08 remaining, but the Ducks responded with a pair to open a 9-7 advantage at the 18:54 mark. Sophomore midfielder Erika Wilcox (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) came through with her second goal of the contest on the back of a senior attack Kara Rafferty (Bayshore, N.Y.) assist, and then put home her 28th goal of the season on a free-position attempt following a won draw control by freshman midfielder Caroline DeLuca (Sayville, N.Y.).
 
Freshman midfielder Kathleen Kalbian (Cheshire, Conn.) won the ensuing draw control, and the Ducks pushed their lead to three when freshman attack Laura Roberts (West Hartford, Conn.) tallied her first of the afternoon, helping the Ducks to a 10-7 edge.
 
From that point, Utica scored three-straight times, tying the game at 10 apiece with 6:07 left in regulation and seizing the momentum.
 
Despite giving up a three-goal cushion, Stevens was able to come back and regain the lead when Wilcox scored for the fourth time in the game – this one via a free-position shot – to give Stevens an 11-10 lead with 4:17 remaining.
 
Each team had chances but could not score down the stretch as Kalbian intercepted a Utica pass as time wound down to seal the win for the Stevens.
 
The first half featured strong runs from each side, and the two teams went into the intermission tied at four-all.
 
The hosts scored the game's first three goals, getting on the board 40 seconds in and adding tallies at 27:13 and 26:35 for a 3-0 margin.
 
Stevens slowed the momentum with some solid defense and came roaring back, scoring four-straight goals. Just 19 seconds after Utica's third marker, Wilcox placed the Ducks on the scoreboard, and 4:32 later, freshman midfielder Mariel Haubrich (Ocean City, N.J.) made it a 3-2 contest. Rafferty knotted the game at three-all with a shade under 20 minutes remaining in the first period, and about six minutes later, junior attack Caitlyn Hughes (Randolph, N.J.) gave the Ducks a 4-3 lead.
 
The defenses shined for the next 12:42 as neither team was able to find the back of the net, but with 53 ticks in the half Utica pulled even with a score from freshman Rebecca Plunkett (Kings Park, N.Y.).
 
Each team scooped up 13 first-half ground balls, with Utica holding an 11-10 margin in shots and a 6-3 edge in draw controls.
 
Rafferty led the Ducks with five points on two goals and three assists, and Wilcox notched four goals, three ground balls, one draw control and one caused turnover. Kalbian finished with a career-high 12 ground balls, eight draw controls, three caused turnovers, two goals and one assist in a monster all-around performance. Haubrich had a goal, three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
Stevens ended with a 22-21 edge in shots and converted 12-of-14 clears. Each team had 12 draw controls, and the Ducks had a 30-27 edge in ground balls.
 
Stevens will look to improve to 5-5 overall and 3-0 in the conference when it battles Elmira Saturday at 3 p.m. Live stats will be available via www.stevensducks.com.