PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – In the highest-scoring game in program history, the University of Rochester women's lacrosse defeated the RIT Tigers, 20-19, in a thrilling, back-and-forth, overtime affair on Alyssa Gorny's game-winner on Wednesday afternoon inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Down by two with just under four minutes into the fourth, the 'Jackets quickly rallied back, pulling within one on Grace Crochiere's free-position score with 11:59 to play, and less than a minute later, leveling the score at 18-all on Gracie Giannettino's equalizer from Gorny at the 11:03-mark of the fourth.
 
And while UR turned it over off the ensuing draw control, the 'Jackets forced another turnover to win it right back, and Emily Schillinger found Giannettino for a 19-18 lead.
 
Rochester held their one-goal lead for nearly seven minutes as Ava Saffren made a pair of saves in goal, but after UR squandered a woman-up opportunity, the Tigers cleared it and called a timeout to set up their offensive attack, down one with 3:04 to play.
 
Saffren saved the Tigers' first attempt, a shot from Morgan Nichter with 2:42 to play, but RIT would keep possession and score just past the two-minute mark, as Nichter found Kate Trojan to even the score at 19-19.
 
Trojan then won the ensuing draw control for RIT, but UR's defense held the Tigers to two wide looks, before forcing a turnover with just two ticks left on the clock to send both sides to OT.
 
In overtime, Nichter won the draw for the Tigers, but a turnover forced by Campbell Sy gave Rochester possession and a chance to finish things off. Out of a timeout, Rochester cleared the ball and got it to Gorny, who shook her defender and scored the game-winner to give UR the victory.
 
In a game that saw three ties and three lead changes, the Yellowjackets opened the scoring just 59 seconds in on Anna Rogers' goal, and a little over 30 seconds later, Gorny added another to make it 2-0.
 
The Yellowjackets outscored the visiting Tigers 7-3 in the opening period, matching the Tigers' first two goals before scoring three of the last four goals of the period to take a four-goal lead after one.
 
Schillinger scored her first of the afternoon just shy of the four-minute mark to give Rochester a 6-3 lead, and after Abbey Smith won the draw, Gorny found Giannettino to make it a 7-3 lead.
 
But after a dominant opening period that saw UR outshoot RIT, 9-3 on goal and force five turnovers, the Tigers battled back over the second and third quarters, cutting Rochester's lead to just two at the halftime break, before tying the score at 15-all with 1:15 left in the third.
 
After Gorny and Rogers each scored again for Rochester in the second, Schillinger's score from Rogers at the 2:44 mark of the second gave the Yellowjackets an 11-7 lead. But the Tigers scored a pair of free-position goals before the break to cut UR's lead to just two and then pulled within one on Carrissa Hlywa's advantage score to start the third.
 
Giannettino answered Hlywa's score to keep Rochester in front by a pair, and with two more from Crochiere, the Yellowjackets extended their lead to three, 14-11, with 8:01 left in the third.
 
However, scores from Hlywa and Nichter got the Tigers on another run, before Lily DePalma eventually tied the score at 15-all with 1:15 remaining in the period.
 
Both teams would add another to head into the fourth all tied up at 16, where the Tigers would open up the scoring, taking their first lead of the afternoon with two goals in less than a minute from Serafina Kiselgof and DePalma with 13:40 and 13:00 to play.
 
Rochester won the ensuing draw and saw a pair from Gorny get saved and hit the post before Crochiere finally got the Yellowjackets back on the board with 11:59 remaining.
 
With the win, Rochester moves to 7-4 (4-2 LL) on the year, while RIT falls to 5-6 (1-5 LL).
 
Offensively, Gorny led the Yellowjackets with five goals, while Crochiere and Giannettino each added four. Schillinger and Rogers notched three apiece, while Giannettino tallied a team-high three assists.
 
On the draw, Crochiere led UR with nine draw controls and Gorny tallied six, while Saffren tallied a team-high five groundballs and Crochiere picked up four.
 
Defensively, four different Yellowjackets tallied two caused turnovers, while in goal, Saffren made six saves.
 
As a team, Rochester outshot RIT, 38-34, and 28-25 on goal, and picked up 20 groundballs, compared to just 12 for RIT.
 
The Yellowjackets are back in action on Saturday, April 13 when they host St. Lawrence University in another conference matchup at 2:30 p.m. inside Fauver Stadium.