PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester lacrosse team picked up its first conference win of the season on Saturday, posting a dominating 12-5 win over Clarkson University at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
The win moves UR to 4-5 on the season and 1-3 in the Liberty League, while Clarkson falls to 6-3 overall and is 1-2 in conference play.
 
Rochester's defense turned in a strong effort, holding Clarkson without a goal for over three full quarters of game time on Saturday, with the Golden Knights not finding the net at all over the second and third quarters.
 
UR's backline of Talia Feldman, Erin Esposito, Campbell Sy and Maddie Bunting led the defensive unit, with goalkeeper Isla Ablin also making seven saves to help the cause.
 
Bunting had a solid all-around game for the Yellowjackets, securing 5 draw controls and 3 ground balls while also causing 3 turnovers to go along with scoring her first career goal.
 
Rochester as a team combined to cause 12 Clarkson turnovers, including two each by Feldman, Esposito and Sara Mendelson.
 
Leading the charge on offense for the Yellowjackets were Alyssa Gorny and Anna Rogers who each scored four times. Mendelson, Jenna Ufberg and Zoey Miller added single tallies along with Bunting.
 
Clarkson got the scoring started four and a half minutes into the game, with Sydney Nakas finding the net for her tenth goal of the season.
 
The lead lasted less than 30 seconds, as UR's Mendelson controlled the next draw and Bunting ran up field and notched her score, juking a defender and beating the Clarkson keeper to even the score at 1-1.
 
After Clarkson secured the next draw control, a UR green card gave the Golden Knights a player advantage, something the visitors used to regain the lead. This time, Brooklynne Perrigo found the next on the low left side to put the Golden Knights back on top.
 
Bunting grabbed the next draw control for Rochester, giving the Yellowjackets possession, one which they used to again tie the game up at two, with Mendelson scoring off a pass from Kassi Boehl.
 
The Mendelson goal started a string of ten straight scores for the Yellowjackets, spanning from the first quarter, all the way to the fourth.
 
Miller and Gorny each scored to complete the first quarter scoring for Rochester, putting Rochester up 4-2 after 15 minutes.
 
In the second, both of Rochester's goals were scored by Rogers, sending the 'Jackets into halftime up by four.
 
In the third, two more goals from Rogers, making it four straight from the sophomore, boosted the lead to six, with Gorny notching a player-up goal to make the score 9-2 Yellowjackets after the third period.
 
The fourth quarter started with more of the same, as Gorny notched another goal less than two minutes in. Ufberg followed three minutes later to give UR a 11-2 advantage.
 
Clarkson was able to score three straight after that, all by Madelynn Barnum, but it was too little, too late for the Golden Knights in their attempt to come back.
 
Gorny finished off the game in style, scoring her team-leading 29th goal of the season with just 12 ticks left on the clock to reach the final score.
 
Clarkson held a 29-24 advantage in shots, but only had 12 of those attempts end on target. Draws were nearly even, with the Golden Knights ending with a slim 11-10 lead. UR ended 20-for-23 in clears, compared to 13-for-15 for Clarkson.
 
Up next, UR heads to Nazareth for a non-conference matchup on Monday evening at 6 pm.