VICTOR, NY – The University of Rochester lacrosse team got off to a sour start in its 2025 campaign, falling by a 20-6 score to St. John Fisher University at the Pinnacle Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon.
 
The host Cardinals (1-0) vaulted out to a 5-0 lead in the first quarter and led 11-2 at halftime. St. John Fisher ended up winning all four quarters en route to the 14-goal winning margin. Rochester drops to 0-1 on the season.
 
Rochester was done in by 20 turnovers in the contest, 13 of which were caused by the Cardinals. First-year goalkeeper Isla Ablin was peppered with 35 total shots in her collegiate debut, making nine saves in the loss.
 
Offensively, the Yellowjackets were led by junior Alyssa Gorny who had a hat trick. She paced Rochester with eight shot attempts and six draw controls. UR's other goals were scored by Kassi Boehl, Gracie Giannettino and Anna Rogers.
 
Lorelei King, Sara Mendelson and Giannettino picked up assists on the day, with Mendelson chipping in three draw controls.
 
For the Cardinals, five players finished with three or more goals, led by Hanna Kumpf and Mary Fiorentino who each found the goal four times. Sydney Carpenter had three goals and three assists, while Farrah Zalla and Emma Biel each scored a hat trick. In goal, Fisher's Maggie Cross made six saves.
 
The opening quarter saw neither team get off to a fast start, with the Cardinals scoring the lone two goals over the first ten minutes. Biel made it 3-0 St. John Fisher and two more goals pushed the lead to 5-0 late in the first. UR's Boehl beat the buzzer in the opening period to put the Yellowjackets on the board.
 
In the second, three more Fisher goals in the first five minutes pushed the lead to seven before Gorny got her first of the day near the mid-point of the quarter.
 
Rogers got the opening tally of the second half for Rochester, but UR couldn't parlay that into any momentum, yielding the next two goals to the Cardinals before Gorny scored again at the 6:39 mark.
 
Spanning the rest of the third and early part of the fourth, St. John Fisher scored five in a row to put the game out of reach. Gorny and Giannettino completed UR's scoring in the middle of the final period.
 
The Cardinals ended up leading 35-16 in shots and were 14-for-14 on clears. The Yellowjackets won the draw control battle, 16-13, but St. John Fisher held an advantage on free position attempts, converting 4-of-8 shots, compared to UR's 1-of-5.
 
UR's next scheduled game is set for Wednesday against SUNY Brockport. That game is tentatively scheduled to be played at Fauver Stadium, weather permitting.