Zoe Froimovitz stopped 13 shots, while
Cate Rathnam and
Tallis Tarbell each tallied two goals to lead the fifth-seeded St. Lawrence University women's lacrosse team, but the fourth-seeded Rochester Yellowjackets edged the Saints 8-7 in the first round of the Liberty League playoffs on Tuesday afternoon in Rochester, N.Y.
Rathnam and Tarbell led the Saints with two goals apiece, while
Jessica LaPlaca and
Lily Stanton each recorded a goal and an assist.
Jolie Osborne also scored for SLU and won two draw controls, while
Ruthie Haims picked up a team-best four ground balls and caused three turnovers.
Kelsey O'Brien and
Winnie Downs picked up three ground balls each, while O'Brien also forced three turnovers.
The Yellowjackets struck first, as Jenna Kessler scored the lone goal of the first quarter to put Rochester up 1-0 after the first 15 minutes of play.
Osborne and Tarbell put up back-to-back goals to give SLU a 2-1 lead at the start of the second quarter, but Rochester would answer with two of their own. The teams traded goals in the final two minutes of the half, as the Yellowjackets held onto their one-goal lead after two quarters, up 4-3.
Rochester increased their lead to 6-3 in the third. Rathnam scored her 39th goal of the season on the woman-up to bring it back within two. Rathnam's goal sparked a four-goal run from the Saints, who took a 7-6 lead with 5:47 to play.
With 3:07 to play in the fourth Alyssa Gorny knotted the game up 7-7 on a free-position goal. Just 24 seconds later, Anna Rogers tallied her second of the game to put Rochester back up by one.
Froimovitz made a huge stop on a shot from Rogers with 1:11 to go, possibly giving the Saints the final possession, but Rathnam's shot was stopped by Isla Ablin, as the Yellowjackets ran out the clock for the 8-7 final.
" It was a defensive battle and Zoe was outstanding in goal," said head coach
Tom Ryan. "I give their coaching staff and defense credit for their game plan and execution. Whenever you care about your teammates, an ending like this hurts. I am proud the progress we made throughout the season and of the team we became."
Rose Bunting led Rochester with three goals and an assist.
Froimovitz made 13 saves for the Saints, while Ablin made nine for Rochester.
The Yellowjackets finished with an edge in shots on goal (21-16), ground balls (17-15), and draw controls (11-6). SLU went 2-for-4 on free-position opportunities, while Rochester went 1-for-3.
St. Lawrence closed out the season at 9-7, while Rochester improved to 12-5 and will face top-ranked William Smith in the semifinals.
