SCHENECTADY, NY – University of Rochester women's lacrosse fell to the Union (NY) College Garnet Chargers, 13-8 on Saturday afternoon in their final game of the 2024 regular season at Frank Bailey Field.
 
Despite getting on the scoreboard first on Gracie Giannettino's second-minute tally, it'd be the home Garnet Chargers who jumped ahead early. Union's Greta Maurer answered Giannettino's unassisted score with one of her own just minutes later before Anna Smith gave the Garnet Chargers their first lead of the afternoon at the 10:05 mark of the first.
 
Union would score twice more, going up 4-1 before the Yellowjackets got back on the scoreboard, as Alyssa Gorny scored quickly after Grace Crochiere won the draw to pull UR back within two, 4-2, with 4:51 left in the first.
 
Less than 50 seconds later, Gorny forced a turnover and scooped up the ground ball, and Giannettino found Lorelei King for the score to make it a one-goal game just shy of the four-minute mark of the first.
 
Mauer tacked on one more before the quarter buzzer, scoring off Smith's assist with 2:11 remaining, and Union would take a 5-3 lead after one.
 
Neither team was able to get much going in the second, with both sides turning it over multiple times over the first five minutes of the period. Ava Saffren made her third save on a shot from Maurer with 12:30 left in the first half, and Rochester finally got things going after a turnover at the 8:53 mark.
 
UR took Lexi Varano's turnover the other way, and Gorny scored again to pull the 'Jackets back within one, but despite winning the ensuing draw, a turnover gave the ball right back to the Garnet Chargers.
 
Both sides struggled offensively until Union forced a turnover and cleared it with just over four minutes left, and the Garnet Chargers proceeded to reel off two goals to take a 7-4 lead at the halftime break.
 
In the third, Crochiere got Rochester back on the scoreboard just over six minutes into the period, scoring off Emily Schillinger's assist to make it 7-5 Union, but once again, the home side had an answer, and the Garnet Chargers reeled off two straight to pull ahead by four with 7:29 left in the third.
 
Down the stretch of the third, UR again pulled within two on Anna Rogers' goal, assisted by Crochiere, and Schillinger's free-position shot with 59 seconds left, but a late Maurer goal with 20 seconds until the horn extended Union's lead back to three, and the Garnet Chargers would pull away in the fourth.
 
Gillian Joseph made it a four-goal lead for Union 53 seconds into the final frame, while the Garnet Chargers' defense held UR to just five shots on goal and one score in the fourth.
 
Two more goals for Union just shy of the six-and-a-half minute mark put the game out of reach, while a late score from Giannettino got UR on the scoreboard in the final period before the Garnet Chargers finished off the 13-8 victory.
 
With the loss, Rochester wraps up the regular season at 9-8 (5-5 LL), while Union moves to 10-5 (8-2 LL).
 
Giannettino and Gorny each led UR with two goals, while a trio of Yellowjackets: Crochiere, Giannettino and Schillinger added an assist. On the draw, Crochiere was the lone 'Jacket to tally multiple draw controls with a team-high five, and the senior also added a team-high four ground balls.
 
Defensively, five different Yellowjackets caused a pair of turnovers, as the two sides combined for 43 total turnovers, and 10 failed clears.
 
In goal for UR, Saffren made seven saves, while Hannah Dubinksy made five for Union.
 
The Yellowjackets will head back to Schenectady on Tuesday, April 30 for their Liberty League Conference Tournament opener against the Garnet Chargers. Rochester, the sixth seed, will once again face the third-seeded Garnet Chargers at a time to be determined at Frank Bailey Field.