ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (4-6, 1-3 Liberty League) women's lacrosse team returned to action Friday afternoon, losing to Rensselaer (7-3, 5-0 Liberty League), 16-8 on a sun-drenched Turf Field on the campus of RIT. 
 
Ashleigh Caruso (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) and Corrina Mandell (Corning, NY/Corning East) led RIT with three points apiece on two goals and two assists. Sage Sarkis (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) scored two RIT goals, and Holly Leone (Centerport, NY/Harborfields) and Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic) each tallied a goal for the Tigers. Payerl's goal was the first of her collegiate career. Elizabeth Hughes (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) took the loss in net for RIT, making seven saves.

RIT was outshot by RPI, 25-21. The Tigers grabbed 29 ground balls to 31 for the Engineers. RIT won 11 draw controls and was 12-of-15 on clearing attempts. The Tigers were 2-of-6 on free position attempts and committed 16 turnovers.

Meg Colitz led RPI with six points on five goals and an assist. Jamie Wakefield tallied five points on four goals and an assist, while Michelle Denny had a goal and four assists for the Engineers, who remain unbeaten in conference play. Erin Amarello got the win in net for RPI, making eight saves.

The Tigers opened the scoring when Mandell fed Caruso at 25:50 of the first half giving RIT a 1-0 lead. Wakefield answered for the Engineers at 21:20, scoring off a feed from Scofield, tying the score at 1-1. Consecutive goals from Mandell and Caruso at 20:26 and 18:29, respectively, gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

Rensselaer rattled off eight straight goals midway through the first half, taking a 9-3 lead at 6:34 of the first half on a goal by Colitz off an assist Mackenzie O'Neil. Colitz scored five of the six goals in the run for the Engineers. Sarkis broke the Engineers run with a pair of goals at 5:24 and 4:47, respectively, to cut the Engineers lead to 9-5.

After a Marissa Page goal made it 10-5 Rensselaer, Payerl scored her first collegiate goal with 2:39 to play in the half, making it 10-6 RPI at the half.

Leone opened the second half scoring with her first tally of the season at 28:13, making it 10-7 Rensselaer. Consecutive goals from Scofield and Wakefield increased the Engineers lead to 12-7 at 24:55 of the second half. Mandell added her second goal of the game at 24:00, converting on a free position attempt. Wakefield added two straight for RPI, making it 14-8 with 14:00 to play in the game, and Page and Denny added goals to make it a 16-8 final.

The Engineers are now 3-0 all-time against RIT.

RIT returns to action on Saturday, April 12 when the Tigers host Skidmore College at 3 p.m. on RIT's Turf Field.