UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's lacrosse team fell 11-9 to the Nazareth College Golden Flyers in its Empire 8 opener on Saturday afternoon.
Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) tied a career-high with five goals in the game while
Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added three, which brought her career total to 99, to go with a team-high two assists.
Ruby Ackerman (Bethel, CT/Bethel) also scored on what was her only shot on goal attempt of the game. In goal,
Breese Burlingame (Binghamton, NY/Northfield Mount Hermon) made 14 saves and finished tied as the team leader with four ground balls.
Nazareth opened the scoring at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter before DeCondo responded less than one minute later to draw even at 1-1. The Golden Flyers jumped out to a 3-1 lead with a free position goal at 6:45 as well as a tally with 4:17 remaining in the frame.
Stuhlman cut Utica's deficit to one goal with her first of the afternoon with 1:35 to play in the first before Nazareth scored once more in the quarter with 13 seconds left to take a 4-2 edge into the second.
Nazareth went on to score the first two goals of the second before the Pioneers got back on the board with 6:45 left in the half. Off a Golden Flyers turnover, DeCondo found Stuhlman near the cage for her second goal of the game to bring the score to 6-3 in favor of Nazareth. The Golden Flyers ended the half with a pair of goals to take an 8-3 lead into halftime.
Utica started to pick up momentum early in the third with a DeCondo goal about 1:30 into the fresh half while Nazareth responded with under eight minutes left in the third. However, DeCondo and Stuhlman goals brought Utica within three while Nazareth chalked up one more to ultimately take a 10-6 lead into the fourth.
The Pioneers continued to battle back with three straight goals, two of which by Stuhlman and one by Ackerman on the Utica advantage, to make it a 10-9 game with 3:54 to play. The Golden Flyers went on to convert on a free position shot with 2:56 left before winning the ensuing draw control to ultimately run the game clock down and deny the Pioneers' comeback attempt.
Utica (4-4, 0-1 Empire 8) will remain home to host Plattsburgh State at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
