ROCHESTER, NY – The Vassar College men's lacrosse team suffered a tough 24-13 loss to Rochester Institute of Technology in Liberty League action on Saturday afternoon. The top-ranked Tigers improve to 8-0 overall and are 1-0 in league play, while the Brewers slip to 0-2 in the Liberty League and are 5-4 overall.

The Tigers opened the game's scoring with a pair of quick goals in the opening minute. Vassar countered at the 11:43 mark of the first as rookie Shane O'Hara buried one, but three straight tallies by the home team opened a 5-1 margin for RIT. The 9:06 mark saw junior James Nicholas fire one in to close the gap to three (5-2), but five goals, including three straight from Like Pilcher, made it a 10-2 margin.

The Brewers grabbed momentum to end the first quarter as sophomore Ian Zumpano scored with 3:28 to go and that energy carried into the second stanza as rookie Van Ledermann dropped one in at 13:24, followed by a score from sophomore Ryan Metz as the Brewers pulled it to 10-5.

A 9-1 run for the Tigers followed over the remainder of the frame, including three more scores by Pilcher to open up a 19-6 lead for RIT at halftime.

Out of the break, senior Logan Hyde connected on a pass by Ledermann, followed a few minutes later by the second score of the contest from O'Hara to close the margin to 19-8 with 9:29 left in the third. Following another RIT score, Vassar answered as senior Connor Deehan fired in a pass from Zumpano.

Zumpano then answered with a tally of his own, converting a pass from rookie Holden Anderson to make it a 20-10 margin at 1:34. In the fourth quarter and trailing 21-10 after a last-second RIT score, the Brewers saw O'Hara net his third of the game. Rookie Lance Davis later converted a Metz pass with 7:02, but Vassar could not hold off RIT despite a goal from Anderson at 3:33.

Pilcher led all players with seven goals and an assist for eight points, adding a ground ball. Ryan Rosenblum added two goals with a helper, while Marley Angus posted two goals with three assists. Ryan Barnable had a goal with an assist as Andrew Doktor added a goal with two helpers. Nick Farrel went 9-of-15 from the faceoff circle with five ground balls, while Jimmy Spillane had an 8-of-14 mark in the circle with three ground balls.

For Vassar, Zumpano recorded three goals with an assist, while O'Hara added three goals. Anderson posted a goal with two assists, while also going 18-of-36 in the faceoff circle. Sophomore Solomon Hess recorded a team-high four ground balls, while Metz notched a goal and an assist.

In goal, RIT saw Drew Hutchinson earn the win, stopping five shots in 30 minutes of play. Will Sterrett played 15 minutes and had three saves, while Kyle Burbank played 11:03 and made five stops. John Kuzmeski come on for 3:57 and did not make a save. For the Brewers, junior Jack Bagin shouldered the loss, recording nine stops in 30:34. Classmate Aidan Gallagher came on in relief for the final 29:26, recording six saves.

Vassar returns to the field next Saturday, hosting Skidmore College in league action at 3:30pm on Gordon Field.