ITHACA, NY – University of Rochester women's lacrosse fell to the 12th-ranked Ithaca College Bombers, 17-8, in their Liberty League conference opener on Saturday at Higgins Stadium.
 
Lexi Kellish and the Bombers' offense would get the scoring started just over a minute into the opening period, as Ithaca scored five straight and four unanswered before UR got on the scoreboard.
 
With just over three minutes remaining in the first, and following an Ithaca turnover forced by Grace Crochiere, Brooke Fiannaca got the Yellowjackets on the scoreboard, scoring off Alyssa Gorny's assist to cut the Bombers' lead to four.
 
However, Ithaca would add one more score on Sydney Phillips' tally just before the quarter horn, and take a 6-1 lead into the second.
 
Ithaca would then keep things rolling, as they scored four straight to open the period, holding Rochester without another goal for more than eight minutes, before Kassi Boehl cut into the Bombers' lead with another score from Gorney, her first goal of the year to make it 10-2 Ithaca.
 
Rochester would add another just a few minutes later, as this time Gorny found the back of the net off Lucy Haggerty's assist, making it a 10-3 Bombers' lead with 4:30 to play.
 
The Bombers would add one more before the halftime break, and take an 11-3 lead into the locker room.
 
Rochester would keep things much closer in the third, as Giannettino opened the third-quarter scoring with a free-position shot following an Ithaca turnover.
 
Caroline Wise and the Bombers would quickly answer on the other end, but the Yellowjackets then came up with another score, with Fiannaca again finding the back of the net off an assist from Haggerty with 10:59 remaining in the third.
 
The Bombers would add three more goals to take a 15-5 lead into the final period, where UR outscored Ithaca, 3-2, holding the Bombers scoreless for the final 6:53.
 
Gorny got UR on the scoreboard to start the fourth, while Giannettino answered Ithaca's first goal of the fourth with another one of her own, helping Gorny notch her third assist of the afternoon.
 
Both Gorny and Haggerty tallied three assists, while Fiannaca tallied a hat trick, scoring her third goal of the afternoon off Haggerty's assist with 2:36 to play.
 
Fiannaca's goal would serve as the last score for either side, as the Bombers finished off a 17-8 victory.
 
UR drops back to .500, 2-2 (1-1 LL), with the loss, while the 12th-ranked Bombers move to 4-1 (1-0 LL) on the year.
 
In goal, Ava Saffren took the loss for Rochester, tallying two saves and allowing eight goals over her 17+ minutes of action, while Emily Geiss notched six saves in 42:15 in the net. For Ithaca, Lexi Held earned the win, making six saves.
 
Gorny led the 'Jackets with two goals and three assists for a total of five points, while Fiannaca notched a hat trick and Haggerty tallied three assists. Defensively, Abbey Smith led Rochester with four groundballs and four caused turnovers.
 
Rochester will next open their home slate with a non-conference matchup against SUNY Brockport scheduled for Wednesday, March 15 at 5:00 p.m. at Edwin Fauver Stadium.