Ithaca, Fisher and Nazareth Open E8 Play with Wins
Ithaca 8, Stevens 6
The 13th-ranked Ithaca College women’s lacrosse team (4-3, 1-0 Empire 8) opened Empire 8 play defeating host Stevens Institute of Technology (3-6, 0-1 Empire 8) 8-6 Friday afternoon.
Senior Tracy Rivas scored a pair of goals to claim her 200th career point and move into fifth all-time at Ithaca in the category.
Ithaca opened action with back-to-back goals and went on to lead 4-1 at 4:30 of the first, but the teams combined to score five goals in the final 3:29 of the half. The Ducks answered with a trio of goals to knot action at 4-4, but Rivas and senior Sam Whitney each tallied in the final 24 seconds of play to secure a 6-4 Bomber edge at the half.
Stevens pulled within one, 6-5, five minutes into the second, but Ithaca responded 45 seconds later to reinstate the two-goal gap. A Bomber goal at the 14-minute mark made it an 8-5 game. The teams were held scoreless for over 12 minutes before the Ducks netted the game’s final score at 1:41 for an 8-6 final in Ithaca’s favor.
St. John Fisher 15, Elmira 3
The St. John Fisher College women's lacrosse team opened Empire 8 Conference play with a dominant 15-3 win over visiting Elmira College.
The Cardinals controlled the game from the get-go, holding Elmira scoreless in the first half and into the second stanza. The Soaring Eagles eventually ended the shutout bid at the 21:17 mark of the second half. Fisher last accomplished the feat nearly exactly two years ago, when it held the same Elmira team scoreless in the second half in a 21-6 win on April 1st, 2011.
Despite the loss, Elmira keeper LeAnna Presler posted a solid outing for the visitors, finishing with 16 saves including 11 in the first half.
However, possession and efficiency were the difference in the match as Elmira turned the ball over 27 times with 11 of those caused by a Cardinal. The Soaring Eagles were also just 10-of-26 on clears compared to Fisher 13-of-14.
Fisher outshout Elmira 38-7 in the game.
Nazareth 17, Alfred 3
Nazareth scored the game's first 11 goals Friday against Alfred as the Golden Flyers won for the third straight time with a 17-3 victory over the Saxons in women's lacrosse.
Nazareth scored the first goal of the game just 42 seconds in and found the back of the net three more times before the game was five minute old.
Alfred scored the first two goals of the second half, but Nazareth scored twice two minutes apart to extend the lead to 13-2.
Nazareth had advantages in shots (28-12), ground balls (19-7) and draw controls (15-7).