POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – University of Rochester women's lacrosse moved to 3-0 in Liberty League play, defeating the Vassar College Brewers, 15-8, for its third-straight conference victory on Saturday afternoon at Weinberg Turf Field.
 
Despite falling behind early and trailing 4-1 after the first quarter, URochester held the Brewers to just four goals the rest of the way, holding Vassar scoreless for the entirety of the second quarter and until the 7:52 mark of the third.
 
Tess Billings scored twice to get Vassar on the scoreboard first, scoring her second off Amelia Poirier's assist with 9:37 left in the first, before Rochester answered a little over a minute later on Anna Rogers first of four goals on the day.
 
Rogers' goal, assisted by Alyssa Gorny, got the Yellowjackets on the scoreboard just past the 8:30 mark of the first, but the Vassar would answer with a pair and hold URochester off the scoreboard the rest of the quarter.
 
Trailing 4-1 after one, the Yellowjackets quickly flipped the script, though, outscoring the Brewers, 4-0 in the second to take a 5-4 lead at the halftime break.
 
While Isla Ablin and the Yellowjacket defense held Vassar off the scoreboard, forcing eight turnovers, back-to-back goals by Alyssa Gorny pulled URochester within a goal, 4-3. Sam Kinch then tied things up off Rogers' assist with Rochester holding a player advantage with 7:19 left in the first half, before Rogers got on the scoreboard herself to give the 'Jackets a 5-4 lead at the halftime break.
 
Rogers then quickly scored again to start the third, finding the back of the net off another unassisted tally a little over a minute into the third, while Gorny notched her fourth just shy of the 11-minute mark of Rose Bunting's assist to extend URochester's lead to 7-4.
 
The Brewers would finally get back on the scoreboard after a nearly 30-minute scoreless drought, as Billings again netted a goal, but Rochester would respond with the next three scores, stretching their lead to 10-5, before a late Vassar tally made it 10-6 headed to the fourth.
 
Gorny answered Billings' goal with another of her own, one of five goals for the senior attacker on the day, while Rogers took advantage of another player-up opportunity, before Allison Weiden scored off another Rose Bunting assist to make it 10-5.
 
Maddie Kaltsas got the scoring started for Vassar to start the fourth, cutting Rochester's lead to just three, 10-7, with 12:44 to play, but that'd be as close as the Brewers would get the rest of the way.
 
In a dominant second half in which Rochester outscored Vassar, 10-4, the Yellowjackets extended their lead to six, 13-7, with the next three tallies, two off Weiden's stick and another from Rose Bunting, with less than eight minutes left in the fourth.
 
Billings would then score again late for Vassar, earning her fourth goal of the afternoon with 4:47 remaining, but goals from Gorny and Kinch would prevent any hope of a comeback, as the Yellowjackets finished off the 15-8 victory.
 
With the win, URochester moves to 5-2 (3-0 LL) on the year, while the Brewers drop to 5-2 (0-2 LL).
 
Offensively, Gorny led the 'Jackets with five goals, tying with Rogers for a team-high six points. Maddie Bunting led Rochester with six draw controls, as the 'Jackets dominated in the draw circle, winning 17-of-25 draw controls.
 
Defensively, four different 'Jackets each picked up two ground balls, while Ablin had a team-high six ground balls, and made six saves in goal.
 
The Yellowjackets next return home to host Ithaca College on Wednesday, March 25, at 4:00 p.m. inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.