Box Score
Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Led by three goals and two assists from sophomore Melissa Hine (South Hadley, MA/South Hadley), the #14 Union College women's lacrosse team defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 12-8 on Friday. The Dutchwomen improve to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Red Hawks drop to 3-5 and 0-3 in the Liberty League.

Holding a 7-6 lead after the first 30 minutes of play, RPI saw its advantage sway back and forth as Union tied things up at 7-all on a free position goal by junior Keelin Skurek (Massillon, OH/Western Reserve Academy) at 23:54. Rookie Madeline Sisson (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) gave the homestanding Red Hawks the advantage once more and the teams traded goals for an 8-8 tie with 17:23 left in the contest.

Hine, who scored the tying goal of the game for the Dutchwomen, put her team ahead less than four minutes later and Union never relinquished the lead. Goals by junior Allie Cuozzo (Norfolk, MA/King Phillip Regional) and sophomore Kristin Joyce (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) over the final twelve minutes of the contest sealed the 12-8 final margin.

It was a back and forth battle to open the game as the two teams combined for 13 goals. Union took the early advantage and held a 2-1 lead with 21:33 remaining before the Rensselaer fired off five straight goals for a 6-2 lead with ten minutes left in the stanza.

Union found the momentum it needed after back-to-back goals by junior Jill LaForest (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxborough) made it 6-4 in favor of RPI with 6:55 left. After another tally by Sisson, the Dutchwomen posted three straight goals to trail 7-6 at the end of the first half.

In addition to Hine, Union saw Joyce add three goals and an assist. Cuozzo and LaForest each finished with two goals while netminder Cat Ruggiero (Huntington, NY/Huntington) picked up the victory with three saves.

For Rensselaer, Sisson posted two goals and an assist while Stephanie Caouette (Wynantskill, NY/Columbia) had a pair of tallies. Sophomore Afton Marshall (Windham, NH/Salem) had a goal and two assists and junior Sam Fennessey (Gansevoort, NY/Sartagoa Springs) rounded out the scoring with a goal and an assist. In goal, junior Ariana Hood (Severn, MD/Old Mill) posted 10 saves in the loss.

RPI returns to action tomorrow afternoon when it hosts Skidmore at 2pm at Renwyck Field. The Dutchwomen head to Poughkeepsie to take on Vassar, also at 2pm.