SCHENECTADY, NY – University of Rochester women's lacrosse fell to the Union College Garnet Chargers, 14-11, in its regular-season finale on Saturday at Frank Bailey Field.
With the loss and Ithaca College's win over Skidmore, the Yellowjackets earn the No. 4-seed in the Liberty League Tournament and will host a home playoff game for the first time in program history. Rochester finishes the regular season at 11-5 (7-3 LL), tied for the second-most wins in a single season in program history, while Union moves to 11-5 (9-1 LL) with the win.
Senior
Alyssa Gorny also continued to etch her name in the record books, setting new single-season records for both points and goals, leading the Yellowjackets with five goals and three assists on the day. While junior
Jenna Ufberg tied the single-season program record with her 31st draw control.
The Yellowjackets got off to a hot start, scoring three straight before Union got on the scoreboard, and outscoring the Garnet Chargers, 6-2, in the opening period. Gorny took advantage of a player-up situation to get Rochester on the scoreboard just over two minutes into the first quarter, and then assisted
Anna Rogers' score to make it 2-0 with 10:54 left in the first.
Another goal by
Allison Weiden, again assisted by Gorny, made it a 3-0 lead before Hannah Compa got the Garnet Chargers on the scoreboard, but Gorny answered back for the 'Jackets to make it 4-1 with 4:58 left in the opening stanza.
Gillian Joseph closed the gap to 4-2 with another player-advantage score, before
Rose Bunting scored twice over the final three minutes, the first off an assist from Gorny, and the second an unassisted score, to give URochester a 6-2 lead at the quarter break.
Three-straight Union goals to start the second, though, would close the gap to just one, 6-5, with Christina Guanci's first of three goals with 6:04 until the halftime buzzer. Weiden answered Guanci's score with another unassisted tally just shy of two minutes later.
But Maddy Schiller would again make it a one-goal game with just 54 seconds left in the second, sending the two sides into the break separated by just a goal.
Goals from
Jenna Kessler and Gorny extended Rochester's lead to 9-6 to start the third, but an 8-1 Union run would turn the tide for the home squad. The Garnet Chargers scored three-straight unanswered to close the third, tying the score at 9-all on Maddie Greco's player-down goal with 4:21 left in the period.
Guanci then gave the Garnet Chargers their first lead with back-to-back goals to open the fourth, putting Rochester in a two-goal deficit for the first time all day.
Gorny answered back for the Yellowjackets to stem the tide, pulling the 'Jackets within one with 8:53 to play; however, three more from Union put the game out of reach, with a late goal from Gorny cutting the final score to 14-11.
Offensively, Gorny led URochester with five goals and three assists, while
Rose Bunting and Weiden each tallied a pair of scores. In the draw circle,
Maddie Bunting led the 'Jackets with seven draw controls while Gorny added five and
Sara Mendelson tallied two.
Defensively,
Isla Ablin,
Maddie Bunting and Ufberg each caused a pair of turnovers, while Albin and Ufberg also led Rochester with three ground balls.
In goal, Ablin played all 60 minutes and made seven saves.
The Yellowjackets will next host No. 5-seeded St. Lawrence in the first round of the Liberty League Championships on Tuesday, April 28, with a start time to be determined.
