Zacchigna Scores Six Times to Key Highlander Comeback Win over Alfred
HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- Houghton women's lacrosse grabbed its first win against an Empire 8 opponent, earning a 13-11 come-from-behind victory over Alfred University on Wednesday night.
Houghton trailed 9-4 in the second half and was still down 10-6 with 13:18 left in the contest, but six-straight goals over the next nine minutes put the Highlanders in front 12-10. Alfred scored with 2:38 left to pull within one, but Chandler Jones put the cushion back to two with 1:21 to go.
The first half was a back and forth affair. Alfred went up 2-0 before Jones scored her first of the night off an assist from Tyler Reese. The Saxons extended the margin back to two just two minutes later, but Amanda Zacchigna scored twice and Jones added her second to give the Highlanders 4-3 lead. Alfred scored twice in the final seven minutes of the half to take a 5-4 lead into the locker room. That momentum continued in Alfred's favor in the second half, as the visitors scored four-straight goals to push the lead to 9-4.
Nicole Mason and Zacchigna scored to trim the margin to 9-6, but the Saxons added another to go back up by four as the clocked ticked under 20 minutes to go. After six minutes of scoreless play the Highlanders started to make their move. Although they had been outshooting the Saxons all night, most Houghton shots had been wide of the net or easily stopped by the Saxons keeper. Jones tallied her third of the night at the 13:18 mark and Reese scored just 30 seconds later to pull Houghton to 10-8. The Highlanders went from two goals down to one goal up over a 38 second span. Zacchigna scored goal #4 with 9:51 left, Reese added her second just 17 seconds later, and Zacchigna scored again just 21 seconds after that to make the score 11-10 in Houghton's advantage. Zacchigna got her last of the night with 4:54 remaining, and the teams exchanged single goals down the stretch.
Zacchigna finished with six goals and an assist, while adding five ground balls, five draw controls and two caused turnovers. Jones added four goals, an assist, and five draw controls. Mason led the team with six ground balls.
Kourtnie Franklin continued to make strides in net, stopping 10 shots.
Houghton outshot Alfred 31-24 and had a 30-24 edge in ground balls and a 14-12 advantage in draw controls.
The Highlanders (4-8) are back in action at home vs. St. John Fisher on Wednesday, April 23 at 7 p.m.