ROCHESTER, NY- The Utica College women's lacrosse team dropped a heartbreaker Friday as it fell to host Nazareth College 9-8 in the Empire 8 Conference semifinal.
 
Sophomore Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) brought Utica within one with just 1:10 remaining in regulation as she netted her third of the day, but Nazareth won the ensuing draw control and was able to run out the clock to secure the win. 
 
The game was full of back-and-forth action for its entirety.  Nazareth opened the scoring 1:21 into the game as sophomore Emma States netted an unassisted tally.  Utica responded eight minutes later when Devin Ryan (Orchard Park, NY/Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart) netted her 10^th of the year.  Just 70 seconds later, Addison Green (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) put the Pioneers on top with her 15^th of the season.  DeCondo extended the lead to 3-1 at 15:34 with her first of the day.
 
The Golden Flyers stormed back, however as back-to-back goals by States and Callahan Lyon evened the score with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.  DeCondo's second of the day at 3:58 sent the Pioneers into halftime with a 4-3 lead.
 
Utica regained the two-goal cushion at 18:16 of the second half when Stephanie Husnay (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) netted her second of the day to make the score 6-4.  Nazareth rallied with three goals in a span of 5:34 to go ahead 7-6 with under 12 minutes left to play.  Green scored a clutch man up goal off a feed by Husnay to knot the score at 7-7 with 10:45 remaining.
 
Nazareth responded just 49 seconds later as States found the back of the net for her fourth of the day.  Lyon tacked on an insurance tally at 5:38, before DeCondo's final push brought the Pioneers within one.
 
Ryan finished with one goal and one assist, while Lexi Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Lauren Wolff (Peabody, MA/Peabody) each added one helper.  Junior Claire Frier (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) turned in arguably the best performance of the season as she finished with ten saves, including eight in the first half.
 
Utica will bid farewell to eight seniors, including Husnay, Wolff, Brittany Nowak (Eden, NY/Eden), Maddie Behan (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville Dewitt), Hannah Nordstrom (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven), Brianna Colley (Staten Island, NY/Petrides), Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), and Kristin Krieg (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland).  Husnay wraps up her career ranked sixth all-time at UC in career points with 150.  She is also second in assists (71).  Wolff meanwhile ranks third in career assists with 63 to her credit in 53 games played. 
 
The Pioneers wrap up the season with a 9-6 overall record.  This marks the 10^th straight year UC has finished above .500 and the third straight year it has advanced to the postseason.