Senior Katlyn Banker scored a free position goal with 53 seconds left to lift UC to a one goal victory
Box Score Utica 7, Elmira 6 -
Box Score
Elmira, NY – The Utica College women's lacrosse rallied from a 5-2 halftime deficit, capped by
Katlyn Banker (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta)'s game-winning free position goal
with 53 seconds left, to help the Pioneers earn a key Empire 8 Conference victory, 7-6, over host Elmira College on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers (8-5 overall) trailed 6-2 early in the second half, but responded with the game's final five goals, to win their third straight contest. UC also evened its conference record up at 3-3 on the year.
Elmira (7-7, 1-5 Empire 8) had a chance to tie the game with a free position shot with 16 seconds left in the contest, but UC senior goalie
Shelby Barbay (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo) made a huge save to preserve the Pioneer victory. Barbay finished the day with six saves, including four in the second half.
Banker led the way with three goals and one assist, while freshman
Samantha Gebler (Vestal, NY/Vestal) remained hot by netting one goal and adding one assist. Gebler has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in her last five games.
Utica, playing two games in as many days, came out sluggish in the first half of play as Elmira soared to a 4-1 lead in the first 22:33 of action. Freshman Morgan Dupont kept the Pioneers in the contest with her fifth career goal to cut the home team's lead in half, 4-2, with 4:37 to play in the first half.
Elmira added a tally before the half to take a three goal advantage into the intermission. EC outshot Utica 11-7 in the first half, and the Soaring Eagles also picked up ten more ground balls (24-14) than the Pioneers in the opening 30 minutes.
It was truly a tale of two halves as the Pioneers outshot the home squad 15-5 in the final 30 minutes, and more importantly UC outscored EC 5-1.
After allowing an early goal in the second half the Pioneers responded with five unanswered goals to earn the come from behind win. Freshman
Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) got the Pioneer rally started when she scored in the 25th minute off an assist from Banker. Just over a minute later Banker netted her second goal of the game, before Gebler cut Elmira's lead to one, 6-5, after a free position score at the 22:13 ledger.
With 11:50 left on the game clock freshman
Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) found the back of the net to knot the score at 6-6 and Banker sealed the victory on a free position shot with under a minute to go. Banker currently leads Utica with 41 goals and 16 assists through 13 games.
Meghan Olesen (Franklin, MA/Franklin) won seven draw controls for the Pioneers, while
Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) added a tram-best eight ground balls and three caused turnovers.
UC returns to action on Saturday when they head to Ithaca College for a key Empire 8 game against the conference leading Bombers. The first draw control is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
--- www.ucpioneers.com ---
