Box Score

TROY, NY – Shannon Maguire scored three goals to lead Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to a 10-8 win over local rival Union College in a Liberty League Women's Lacrosse Semifinal Game at RPI's Renwyck Field Friday afternoon.

The win for the top seed Engineers, now 15-1, avenged the lone loss of the season earlier to Union and sent RPI into Saturday's Championship Game at home. The other semifinal later today features #2 seed RIT vs. #3 seed William Smith. Union finishes the season with a 7-8 record.

Union freshman Emily McGrail score three goals, giving her 47 for her rookie season. Hilary Salander scored twice in her final game for the Dutchwomen. Both teams had 18 shots and the Dutchwomen had 14 ground balls to RPI's 12.

RPI will play in the Liberty League Championship Game for the first time in program history. Meg Colitz scored twice and added an assist and Lauren Miller scored two late second half goals for the Engineers. RPI goaltender Allie Arnal made five saves while Union's Kim Grinhaus stopped four.

The Dutchwomen opened the scoring and also had a 2-0 lead early in the contest. McGrail, named the Liberty League Rookie of the Year earlier in the week, tallied her 45th of the year when she weaved through three defenders and scored 51 seconds in. Salander scored her 17th 2:37 in, as she worked her way behind the net and shot it in from the right of the cage. Union had a shot for a 3-0 lead with 25:42 left but a drive by Heather Fraser went high over the crossbar.

RPI came back to tie and take a 3-2 lead. Rachel Scofield took a feed in front from Marissa Page and scored her 28th of the spring with 22:43 remaining. Moments later (21:57), the Engineers tied it at 2-2 on a free position goal by Laura Connor. The hosts then took their first lead of the day, 3-2, when Lydia Wolter's free position shot was initially stopped by Grinhaus before finding its way into the net with 18:24 left.

Both teams had golden chances over the next eight minutes. At 17:59, Meg Colitz had a shot high off the Union crossbar, and at 16:11, Union's Haley Gould had a free position shot just go off the post. At 14:16, a high shot by McGrail was denied with a great save by Arnal, and with 10:41 left Heather Fraser's drive went hard off the left post.

Union knotted it up at 3-3 with 8:50 left in the first half. Salander scored from the right of the goaltender after a pass out front from Heather Fraser. But RPI took the lead at 4-3 with just 2:57 remaining on a rough angle shot from Miadeline Sisson from the right side.
Union had a 10-7 shot advantage at halftime and both teams had eight ground balls.

The Dutchwomen tied the contest at 4-4 just 3:48 into the second half. Tory Cameron had a high score on a free position for her seventh of the season. Union came back just 29 seconds later for a 5-4 lead on a strong high shot over the shoulder by Kat Egizi<http://www.unionathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4269>, her 16th.
Union regained a two goal lead on a high free position shot, just under the crossbar, by McGrail with 24:03 left in the second half. But the Engineers got a free position of their own, from straight on, and Shannon Maguire shot it high and in for her 30th and a one goal game at 6-5. After a foul call, RPI got the ball back outside of the free position area, and Maguire made her way through traffic and shot it in close and high for a 6-6 tie with 19:07 left in the second half.

With 11:08 left, Jamie Wakefield's point blank shot was stopped nicely by Grinhaus. With 15:25 remaining, a Brittany Fraser free position shot was stopped, but with 15:11 left she got another free position and bounced in her 14th of the year for a 7-6 Dutchwomen advantage. Grinhaus made the save of the game with 14:09 left with Wakefield again in front alone on a nice pass, and the drive was stopped with the stick. Lauren Miller scored her fifth on a free position at 13:05 and the game was tied again (7-7). Colitz got her 36th and second of the day with 12:51 left, on a spin move to the left of defenders and the net before coming in close for the shot.

With 18:50 left, RPI's Lydia Wolter took a drive high off the crossbar that came all the way out near midfield, but the Engineers got it back and Miller scored her second of the half and #6 of the year off a quick pass from Maguire. The goal with 9:10 left gave the Engineers a 9-7 lead. RPI held the ball for a long time and then found Maguire in front with a pass from Colitz to put it away at 10-7 with 2:54. It was her third of the day and 32nd of the year. McGrail scored her third of the day and 47th of the year in the final minute.