Box Score | Tournament Page

TROY, N.Y. – Senior Meg Colitz notched a game-high four points – all in the second half – to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's lacrosse team to an, 11-7, comeback victory over Vassar College, in the Liberty League semifinals at Renwyck Field. With the win, the top-seeded Engineers (12-4) advance to the championship game on Saturday (3pm), while the fourth-seeded Brewers conclude their season with an 11-5 mark.
 
Vassar got out to a fast start, scoring the game's first two goals. Senior captain Phoebe Tzannes (Lexington, MA/Lexington) converted a free position opportunity into her 31st tally of the season. Junior Dara Davis (Guilford, CT/Guilford) then buried the first of her three goals on the day to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage, 5:35 into the game.
 
The Brewers then able to keep RPI off the board for the next 12 minutes, before senior Marissa Page (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) broke through with her 21st of the year, off a terrific feed from junior Erin Riley (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South). The Engineers drew even (2-2) less than a minute later, when freshman Sophie Hager (Northport, NY/Northport) found sophomore Mackenzie O'Neil (Duxbury, MA/Milton Academy) cutting to net for the first of her two goals on the day.
 
With 6:51 remaining in the first half, Vassar regained a one-goal edge (3-2), on an unassisted marker from Davis. RPI had a pair of free-position ties within the final minute, but Brewers junior goaltender Kate Pula (Washington Township, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) stood tall in net.
 
Colitz (East Greenwich, RI/LaSalle Academy) scored just 33 seconds into the second half to pull RPI even at 3-3. Vassar freshman Julia Trudell (Newtown, CT/Newtown) answered 1:10 later to make it 4-3.
 
A 4-0 run by the Engineers ensued, include two more from Colitz. Riley capped the streak with the first of her two on the afternoon, taking a pass from Colitz and one-timing a shot past Pula to make it 7-4.The goal for Colitz was her 47th of the season and 100th of her collegiate career.
 
Vassar came right back with a two-goal spurt of its own, as Trudell netted her 26th of the year from freshman Sophia Rosetti (Bethesda, MD/Holton Arms School). Tzannes drew the visitors to within 7-6 with 16:51 to go, but that was as close as they would come the rest of the way.
 
Rensselaer scored the next four goals to take a commanding 11-6 lead with 4:39 remaining. Sophomore Erin DeLucca (East Lyme, CT/East Lyme) was followed by O'Neil and junior Jamie Wakefield (Windsor, CT/Windsor), before Riley ripped home her 27th of the year.
 
A late unassisted goal from Davis brought the game to its final score, as the Engineers were able to run off the final two minutes in Vassar territory.
 
RPI junior netminder Erin Amarello (Griswold, CT/St. Bernard School) made four saves to improve to 12-4, while Pula (8-4) came away with seven saves at the other end of the field.
 
Colitz finished with three goals and an assist on a game-high seven shots. Riley had two goals and an assist, to go along with two draw controls, two caused turnovers and a ground ball. Senior Rachel Scofield (Albany, NY/Colonie) notched two assists, a draw control, four ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
The Brewers saw Davis score three time on six shots, while claiming a game-best five draws. Tzannes and Trudell had two goals apiece, with Tzannes recording three caused turnovers and two ground balls.
 
Vassar won the draw control battle by a 13-7 margin, but turned the ball over 21 times to RPI's 16. The Brewers were also just 13 for 21 on the clear, while the Engineers finished 17 for 18.