Box Score
Box Score

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Junior midfielder Sam Fennessey (Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs) scored a pair of key second-half goals to help lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's lacrosse team to a 17-15 victory over Ursinus College on Friday. With the win, the Red Hawks remain unbeaten on the season, improving to 3-0. The Bears fall to 1-2 overall.

Ursinus grabbed and early 1-0 lead before the Red Hawks rattled off seven straight goals over a six-minute span for a 7-1 lead at the 20:50 mark. All seven RPI tallies came from different scorers.

The Bears battled back, pulling to within four (8-4) on a free position tally by sophomore attack Lindsay Urban (Doylestown, PA/CB East). Rensselaer later made it an 11-6 advantage on goals by senior Emily Donowick (West Seneca, NY/Nichols School) and sophomore Afton Marshall (Windham, NH/Salem) at the 6:11 mark, but Ursinus once again found momentum in the closing minutes.

Led by a pair of goals from freshman midfielder Alyssa Thren (Barto, PA/Upper Perkiomen), the Bears scored five straight goals to tie things at 11-11, heading into the halftime.

Ursinus grabbed a quick lead in the second half, tallying two goals within the first two minutes to hold a 13-11 advantage at 28:41.

A free position shot by Tracy Breslin (Latham, NY/Shaker) pulled RPI to within one (13-12) at 28:13 and the Red Hawks later made it 14-all at 19:15 on another free position tally, this time by Fennessey.

Sophomore midfielder Allison Furman (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) regained the one-goal lead for the Bears, but Rensselaer fired off three goals, including another by Fennessey and the game-winner by senior Kerri Clark (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) to seal the RPI win.

In addition to Fennessey, who had three goals, Donowick added a game-high four tallies. Sophomore Stephanie Caouette (Wynantskill, NY/Columbia) added two goals and an assist, while junior netminder Ariana Hood (Severn, MD/Old Mill) improved to 3-0 overall with 11 saves.

For Ursinus, Thren and senior midfilder Lisa Clark (Media, PA/Penncrest) each led the Bears with three goals and an assist. Junior goalie Alex McBride (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) also finished with 11 saves.

Rensselaer won the battle in shots, holding a 36-32 shot advantage over the Bears. Ursinus held a 20-17 lead in ground balls.

The Red Hawks return to action on Tuesday with a 4:30pm contest at Williams. Ursinus is back on the field on Wednesday at Drew (5pm).