HENRIETTA, NY – Despite a career-high six goals and seven points from sophomore Anna Rogers, the University of Rochester women's lacrosse fell to the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers, 15-11, on Wednesday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.
 
In a game that featured five ties and three lead changes, the Tigers came out on top behind a six-goal, fourth quarter, outscoring the Yellowjackets 6-2 over the final period to pull away with a 15-11 victory. With the loss, UR drops to 4-8 (1-5 LL) on the year, while RIT moves to 9-3 (6-1 LL) with the win.
 
The Tigers would get the scoring started after an early turnover by Rochester, as Zoe Heffernan broke the seal and got RIT on the scoreboard off Jenna Bovenzi's assist just over a minute into the opening period.
 
Isla Ablin would make a save to keep the Tigers from scoring again on RIT's ensuing possession, but the Yellowjackets would go scoreless for nearly eight minutes, turning it over twice until Rogers found the back of the net with 8:33 left in the first.
 
Rogers' first of six tallies leveled the score at one-all, and UR quickly took its first lead of the afternoon just seconds later on Lorelei King's score from Rogers at the 8:16 mark of the first, following a draw control win by Alyssa Gorny.
 
Less than a minute later, though, Morgan Nichter would tie things up for the Tigers, with her first of three goals on the afternoon.
 
Just shy of the three-and-a-half minute mark of the first, Sara Mendelson got the 'Jackets back on the scoreboard off an RIT turnover, as Mendelson and Rogers combined for back-to-back tallies to give UR a 4-2 lead.
 
Mendelson's score came off Allison Weiden's assist, while Rogers' goal with 3:06 to play in the first came with a player advantage and off an assist from Tessa Little.
 
Despite another save from Ablin, one of 10 on the afternoon for UR's first-year goalie, Heffernan would break through again with less than a minute left, cutting Rochester's lead back down to a goal, 4-3, headed to the second.
 
And while UR looked to re-extend its lead early on in the second, Ellie Ruddy made four saves over the first five minutes of action in the second period to keep Rochester off the board.
 
Following three more Ruddy saves, Rogers and the Yellowjackets broke through just shy of the seven-minute mark of the second, with Rogers scoring her second off Gracie Giannettino's assist.
 
Lily DePalma responded for RIT with a goal of her own before Gorny connected on a free-position shot with 4:01 left in the first half to once again make it a two-goal advantage.
 
DePalma again answered for the Tigers less than a minute later, cutting UR's lead to 6-5, and a late goal from Nichter with 47 seconds left would send the two sides into the halftime break all square at six.
 
The Tigers made a goalie charge to start the second half, and while RIT would strike first in the second to take their first lead since early on in the first, UR came right back with back-to-back goals of their own.
 
After Milena Stephen gave RIT a 7-6 lead, Gorny quickly tied it at seven-all following a turnover, ground ball pickup, and assist by Kassi Boehl. Rochester won the ensuing draw, and Rogers found the back of the net again to make it 8-7, scoring off Mendelson's assist with 9:47 left in the third.
 
RIT would tie things up again just shy of the four-minute mark on Nichter's unassisted goal, while DePalma would give the Tigers another one-goal advantage, 9-8, with under a minute left in the third.
 
However, Rogers would equalize with just seven seconds left in the quarter, as UR turned the Tigers over and scored all with less than 25 seconds left to level the score at 9-9 heading into the fourth.
 
The Tigers quickly retook the lead, though, to start the fourth, winning the opening draw and scoring 58 seconds in on Heffernan's fourth goal of the game. Heffernan added another just past the 11-minute mark to extend RIT's lead to 11-9, as the Tigers scored five-straight to start the fourth before UR could get on the board.
 
Stephen's goal from DePalma with 7:13 to play capped off a 5-0 run for the Tigers and gave RIT a 14-9 lead with just over seven minutes left. And while Giannettino and Rogers scored back-to-back goals to cut RIT's lead to three, 14-11, with 4:55 left, the five-goal deficit would prove to be too much to overcome.
 
Despite winning the draw after Rogers' sixth score, Grace McDonald saved Gorny's shot, and the Tigers took things the other way. RIT added another goal to its tally before the final buzzer sounded, holding UR without a shot over the final 4:15 to seal the 15-11 victory.
 
Offensively, Rogers led Rochester with six goals and an assist, while Boehl and Giannettino each dished out a team-high two assists. In the circle, both Gorny and Mendelson won six draw controls, while Boehl picked up a team-high four groundballs, with Maddie Bunting and King each totaling three.
 
Defensively, Bunting also forced a team-high three turnovers, while Ablin played all 60 minutes in goal, making 10 saves. For RIT, Ruddy and McDonald each played 30 minutes between the pipes, combining for 17 saves.
 
As a team, Rochester outshot RIT, 33-31 and 28-25 on goal, but the Tigers made seven more saves.
 
The Yellowjackets next hit the road to Canton, NY, continuing conference play against St. Lawrence on Saturday, April 12 at 3:00 p.m.