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Vassar College Athletics

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Tess Billings
Stockton Photo, Inc.
14
Winner RIT RIT 7-1, 1-0
11
Vassar VASSAR 5-1, 0-1
Winner
RIT RIT
7-1, 1-0
14
Final
11
Vassar VASSAR
5-1, 0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
RIT RIT 3 5 4 2 14
Vassar VASSAR 0 1 3 7 11

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Second Half Rally Comes Up Short Against RIT

Billings records four points, Busam makes eight saves

Poughkeepsie, NY – The Vassar College Women's Lacrosse team suffered its first loss of the season Friday afternoon following a 14-11 defeat to RIT in its Liberty League opener. Senior Tess Billings (Deerfield, IL) led the offense with four points and classmate Maddie Busam (Summit, NJ) made eight saves in goal.
 
Vassar falls to 5-1 overall on the season and 0-1 in Liberty League play with the Tigers improving to 7-1 overall and 1-1 against league rivals.
 
How It Happened
  • Neither team would score in the contest until the 10:27 mark of the opening period when RIT's Grace Validzic opened the scoring with her first goal of the game.
  • RIT would add two more goals in the first quarter, getting tallies from Zoe Heffernan and Emma Ripley, to carry a 3-0 lead into the second frame.
  • The Tigers opened the second quarter with back-to-back goals from Validzic and Eliza Barton to break open a five-goal advantage with 11:31 left before halftime.
  • Vassar finally broke through when Karina Gyllenhaal (Beverley, MA) scored her fourth goal of the season off a feed from Siena Wong (Scotts Valley, CA) at the 8:12 mark of the second period.
  • RIT answered back with the final three goals of the first half, including a player-up tally from Adele Jones in the final minute, to carry an 8-1 lead into the intermission.
  • RIT closed the opening 30 minutes with a 18-9 advantage in shots with draw controls going to the Brewers 6-4.
  • The Tigers pushed their lead to 11-1 on a Heffernan tally at the 8:26 mark of the third frame.
  • After the two teams traded goals, Vassar got markers from Amelia Poirier (Atherton, CA) and Kate Connelly (Owings Mills, MD) 10 seconds apart to pull to within 12-4 heading to the final 15 minutes.
  • Vassar mounted a furious fourth quarter comeback, outscoring the Tigers 7-2 in the final frame.
  • Billings scored the first three goals of the fourth quarter to being Vassar back to within 12-7 with 8:39 left to play.
  • After RIT scored two of the next three goals, Vassar got a pair of player-up goals from Wong and Elizabeth Burgess (Columbus, OH) and a player-down goal from Burgess in the final 2:51 to cut the deficit to the final three goal disadvantage.
  • Vassar scored on half of its 14 shots in the second half, outshooting the Tigers 14-9.
 
For The Brewers
  • Billings pushed her team lead in goals with 23 and points to 26 with Friday's four-point performance. Billings added three caused turnovers, two draw controls and a pair of groundballs for the Brewers.
  • Burgess scored twice and added an assist for the Brewers.
  • Wong scored once and assisted on two goals while adding two groundballs.
  • Emilia DiLiberto (Allison Park, PA) led the Brewers with five draw controls to go along with a forced turnover and a pair of groundballs.
  • Emily Kallman (Jamestown, RI) caused a pair of miscues and picked up a groundball.
  • Connelly added two draw controls to her goal in the contest.
  • Busam turned aside eight shots for the Brewers in three quarters of work in goal.
  • Cassidy Schuchat (Hopewell Junction, NY) came on to play the fourth quarter and made a pair of saves.
 
For The Tigers
  • Validzic, Jones and Heffernan all scored three times for RIT with Jones adding three draws and a pair of groundballs.
  • Morgan Nichter scored once and helped on three other goals in the victory.
  • Kate Trojan found the back of the net twice for the Tigers and Barton finished with a goal and an assist.
  • Milena Stephen won a team-high five draw controls for the Tigers.
  • Trojan, Validzic and Sophia Wilhelm each caused two turnovers.
  • Melia Wittlinger led the team with three groundballs.
  • Ellie Ruddy picked up the win in goal with seven saves in just over 51 minutes of action.
 
Game Statistics
  • RIT outshot Vassar 27-23 overall in the game.
  • The Tigers won the draw control battle, 15-11.
  • Groundballs went to the Brewers by a count of 15-11.
  • The Brewers were 13-for-14 in clearing chances.
  • RIT went 19-for-22 in clears.
  • The Tigers were a perfect 3-for-3 on free-position shots.
  • Vassar converted on half of its four free-position attempts.
 
What's Next
  • Vassar is back in action at home on Saturday against Rochester.
  • RIT travels to Bard Saturday afternoon.
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