GENESEO, NY – Down by six with six-and-a-half minutes remaining, the University of Rochester women's lacrosse rallied late, scoring four goals over a two-and-a-half minute stretch, but the Yellowjackets couldn't pull off the comeback, falling 13-11 to the SUNY Geneseo Knights on Wednesday evening at College Stadium.
 
Jenna Ufberg got UR on the scoreboard first, as the Yellowjackets won the opening draw and scored off Gracie Giannettino's assist just 26 seconds into the contest. However, the Knights would answer right back with Maddie Brown's goal just 30 seconds later, and after forcing a trio of UR turnovers, took a 2-1 lead on Olivia Luchetti's score with 10:19 left in the first.
 
The Knights proceeded to reel off three unanswered before Rochester got back on the board, scoring three goals in quick succession to open a 5-1 advantage.
 
A failed clear and green card on Geneseo allowed UR to answer back, as Alyssa Gorny sank a free-position shot to cut the Knights' lead to three, 5-2, with 6:23 to play in the first quarter. UR's Sara Mendelson would tack on another off Lorelei King's assist just shy of the three-minute mark of the first, before Rosemary Mahoney made it a 6-3 Knights' lead at the end of the first.
 
Rochester cut the deficit to just one to start the second with goals from Giannettino and Kassi Boehl with a little over 10 minutes until the half, but with a chance to tie after a Geneseo turnover, UR turned it over themselves, failing to clear and allowing the Knights to extend their lead.
 
Natalie Long scored off the UR turnover to make it 7-5, and Geneseo would hold UR to just one shot down the stretch of the second, and the two sides would head into the locker room separated by two scores.
 
UR and Geneseo would then combine for just four goals in the third, with Isla Ablin making four saves in goal for Rochester.
 
Mahoney got the Knights on the scoreboard first to start the third off Brown's assist at the 11:33 mark, by Gorny quickly answered for UR, pulling the 'Jackets back within two, 8-6, with 10:21 left in the period.
 
Just shy of the six-minute mark, Dany Emler made it 9-6 Geneseo, but Anna Rogers would answer back with a free-position goal at the 3:36 mark to keep the deficit at just two, 9-7, after three.
 
However, the Knights would score four-straight goals to open the fourth, taking their largest lead of the day on Mahoney's score, again assisted by Brown, with 6:34 left in the fourth.
 
After another save for Ablin though, one of 14 for the first-year goalie, Rochester's offense started to get in gear and mounted its comeback following another Geneseo turnover.
 
With five minutes to play after a successful clear, Gorny got the Yellowjackets back on the scoreboard off Giannettino's assist to end a nearly 15-minute scoreless stretch and cut Geneseo's lead to 13-8.
 
Lorelei King then won the draw, and while King's shot went wide and Rogers' follow-up was saved, a yellow card gave the 'Jackets a player advantage, as UR would take advantage, cutting Geneseo's lead to four, 13-9, with Rogers' woman-up goal with 3:35 left.
 
Then after winning the draw, Rogers scored again less than 10 seconds later to make it 13-10, and Gorny would add another just past the 2:30 mark to pull UR within two, 13-11, with 2:20 left.
 
However, this time, Geneseo would win the draw, and despite a turnover by the Knights, UR gave it right back, and the Knights would hold onto the ball the rest of the way to finish off the 13-11 victory.
 
UR drops to 1-2 with the loss, while the Knights pick up their first win of the season to move to 1-2.
 
Gorny led Rochester offensively with four goals, three draw controls and an assist, while Rogers added three scores and Giannettino scored a goal and tallied three assists. Campbell Sy and Ablin each led UR with three groundballs, while Ufberg caused a team-high three turnovers, adding a goal and two assists.
 
In goal, Ablin made 14 saves but took the loss.

Geneseo outshot Rochester for the contest, 36-23, while the Knights turned it over just 18 times, compared to 27 for UR.
 
Rochester next heads to Maryland for a matchup against Stevenson University on Friday, March 14 at 1:00 p.m. at Tierney Field in Glencoe, MD.