STEVENSON, MD – The University of Rochester women's lacrosse narrowly fell to the Stevenson University Mustangs, 12-11, on Wednesday afternoon at Mustang Stadium, suffering their second, one-goal defeat in as many contests.
 
Stevenson got up early on the Yellowjackets, scoring three unanswered goals after Lorelei King knotted the score up at one-all. Ava Treakle got the Mustangs on the scoreboard first, just past the 10-minute mark of the opening period, while after a pair of turnovers, King scored off Allison Weiden's assist to level things up at 1-1.
 
However, Stevenson would win the ensuing draw control and hold Rochester off the scoreboard the rest of the period, opening up a 4-1 lead with three scores over the final 4:27 of the first.
 
Zoe Kaplan helped the Mustangs take the lead with her goal just past the four-and-a-half-minute mark of the first, while just over a minute later, Alice Petersen put a free-position shot into the back of the net to give Stevenson a 3-1 lead.
 
The Mustangs would make it 4-1 with another free-position score before the first-quarter buzzer, and would extend their lead to 5-1 with 9:08 left in the second, holding Rochester scoreless for nearly 16 minutes.
 
Alyssa Gorny broke the scoreless stretch with her first of five goals on the afternoon, pulling the 'Jackets within three with an unassisted score with 7:50 left in the first half, while just 32 seconds later, Rose Bunting made it 5-3 with another unassisted score.
 
Two more goals, both off free-position attempts, from Gorny and Anna Rogers over the next two minutes tied the score at 5-5 with 5:26 left in the second, while Gorny's third goal of the quarter with 3:09 remaining in the period gave Rochester its first lead of the day, 6-5.
 
However, the Mustangs would score twice before the first-half horn sounded, tying the score with 1:09 left on another Petersen goal, while Hailey Johnson gave the Mustangs a 7-6 lead with just 13 seconds to play in the second quarter.
 
In the third, Petersen got Stevenson on the scoreboard first, extending the Mustangs' lead to two, 8-6, with her free-position goal with 13:12 left in the third. Rose Bunting answered back for the 'Jackets less than three minutes later, again pulling URochester within a score.
 
But Stevenson would again take advantage of a Rochester turnover to go back up two scores, 9-7, on Carpenter's third goal of the day with 8:01 left in the period.
 
Again, Rochester would respond, pulling within one on Gorny's fourth of the afternoon, but again Mutangs would answer, this time going up three scores with the next two goals over just 48 seconds of gameplay.
 
Megan Greenwell made it 10-8 Stevenson with a free-position score, while less than a minute later, Petersen's goal at the 4:42 mark extended the Mustangs' lead to 11-8.
 
Down by three, the Yellowjackets would find a late burst to close the third, with Rogers and Rose Bunting scoring twice with less than a minute to play to make it a one-goal game headed to the fourth.
 
Carpenter and the Mustangs, though, re-extended their lead back to two goals to start the fourth, with Hailey Johnson assisting Carpenter to make it a 12-10 game with 13:41 left.
 
Stevenson then won the ensuing draw control, but Madeline Merriman saved Treakle's attempt, as the 'Jackets took things the other way. But while Gorny quickly pulled Rochester within a score, 12-11, with 12:03 to play, neither side would find the back of the net the rest of the way, and the Mustangs would eke out a 12-11 victory.
 
Following a turnover by the Mustangs, Regan Torbett saved a pair of Yellowjacket attempts with nine minutes left, and then came up with another trio of saves down the stretch. Torbert saved Gorny's free-position attempt with 6:33 remaining, and then stopped back-to-back shots from Sam Kinch and Ella Lassen before Stevenson was able to run out the clock on the contest.
 
With the loss, Rochester drops to 2-2 on the year, while Stevenson moves to 2-4 with the victory.
 
Offensively, Gorny led Rochester with five goals on eight shots, while Rose Bunting and Anna Rogers added three and two goals apiece. Defensively, Jenna Ufberg had a team-high four ground balls, while four different 'Jackets each forced a pair of turnovers.
 
Maddie Bunting led Rochester with four draw controls, while Merriman made 10 saves in goal, but took the loss.
 
Rochester next returns home to open Liberty League play against St. Lawrence on Saturday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m. inside Fauver Stadium.