SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY- In a battle of top 20 teams, #17 ranked Skidmore College topped the #14 University of Rochester 4-3 in a key Liberty League showdown on Friday afternoon.

Skidmore (12-3, 4-1 Liberty League) now controls its own destiny for the regular season Liberty League title. Rochester (13-3, 4-1 Liberty League) now must earn a win Saturday against St. Lawrence and hope for a William Smith victory over Skidmore tomorrow to earn its first every Liberty League regular season crown.

The host Thoroughbreds got the game off to a quick start jumping ahead 2-0 through just 4:42. First, Kelly Blackhurst, Skidmore's all-time leading scorer got her 20th of the season on a blast from the top of the circle off a turnover. Just 1:19 later, teammate Sam Skott notched her 8th of the year when she tapped in a pass from Sam Revera for a 2-0 lead.

Rochester would strike back at 15:54 when sophomore Michelle Relin scored off a hard shot from the top of the circle off a penalty corner from teammate Belle Hoagland.

Skidmore would regain its two goal lead back less than two minutes later when Skott scored her second of the day, poking in a pass from Dani DeGregory past UR starting keeper Madison Wagner. Blackhurst would then get her second of the day at 25:29, boosting the Skidmore lead to 4-1.

Just before the half, Rochester senior captain Katie Flaschner scored to cut into the Thoroughbred lead. She scored off a penalty corner from Hoagland, her sixth tally of the year.

At the break Skidmore held a 4-2 lead while also outshooting the Yellowjackets 11-3 and earning three more corners (7-4) than UR.

The momentum Rochester earned late in the 1st half seemed to carry over into the second period as early in the second period UR seemed to control play, earning three corners and three shots in the first eight minutes.

The third of those shots, a back post tap in by Hoagland at 42:46, found the back of the cage after a top of the circle pass from Relin. The four points on the day is a career high for the junior Hoagland.

After the goal to pull within one, Skidmore's defense settled in and held UR to just one shot and two corners in the remaining 27 minutes, earning a 4-3 win. The victory for Skidmore avenges results from 2012 when the Yellowjackets topped the Thoroughbreds twice, including once in the Liberty League playoffs.

For the game, Skidmore held a 16-7 shot advantage and 14-5 edge in shots on goal. The Thoroughbreds also held a slim 10-9 corner margin for the contest.

Wagner played the first half in the Rochester cage, making seven saves while sophomore Tara Lamberti made three saves in three chances in the final 35 minutes. Haley McDougall played all 70 minutes for Skidmore, making two saves.

The conference season wraps up Saturday with Skidmore hosting William Smith and Rochester traveling to St. Lawrence in two games that will decide the seeding for the Liberty League playoffs. Rochester, Skidmore and William Smith all have clinched playoff berths along with Vassar, the leagues #4 seed.