TROY, NY – The RIT (6-8, 4-4 Liberty League) women's lacrosse team used a 5-3 advantage in the second half to rally for a crucial 9-8 win at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (6-6, 4-3 Liberty League) on Saturday afternoon. It is the first time RIT has beaten the Engineers in four tries.

With the game tied 7-7, RIT tallied two straight goals, taking an 8-7 lead on a goal by Sage Sarkis (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima). Freshman Emily Livecchi (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) made it 9-7 with 7:15 to play. Leading 9-8, senior goalie Caitlin Conway (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) came with a huge save to preserve the win for the Tigers.

Shots were 29-17 in favor of Rensselaer. RIT grabbed 21 ground balls, while the Engineers grabbed 23. The Tigers won eight draw controls, and were 14-of-20 on clearing attempts and were 1-for-4 on free position tries.

Sarkis led RIT with four points on thee goals and an assist. Corrina Mandell (Corning, NY/Corning East) and Livecchi each scored a pair of goals, while Nicole Bingo (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) added a goal and an assist. Brooks Melnyk (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) also scored for the Tigers. Conway was excellent in net for RIT, picking up the win making 13 saves.
  
Sophie Hager led RPI with five points on three goals and two assists, and Meg Colitz scored three goals. Erin Amarello took the loss in net for the Engineers, making four saves.
 
Rensselaer took an early 3-0 lead on goals from Erin DeLucca, Hager and Jamie Wakefield. RIT responded with four straight goals, taking a 4-3 lead on Mandell's first goal of the game.

Brooks Melnyk (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) got RIT on the board with her goal off an assist from Sarkis at 13:49 of the first half. Livecchi tallied an unassisted goal at 10:36, cutting the Rensselaer lead to 3-2. Sarkis scored off an assist from Bingo, tying the score at 3-3 before Mandell gave the Tigers their first lead of the game.

Rensselaer responded scoring the final two goals of the half, leading 5-4 at the break. Hager and Colitz each tallied for the Engineers to give them the one-goal lead.

Bingo opened the second half scoring on her eight goal of the season, converting a free position attempt at the 23:23 mark. Sarkis gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead on her second goal of the game coming at 18:23.

Mandell sandwiched a goal in between goals from Colitz, as her second tied the score at 7-7. Sarkis answered right back for RIT, tallying her third goal of the game with 7:54 to play, giving the Tigers an 8-7 lead.
 
Livecchi added an insurance goal with 7:15 to play, giving RIT a 9-7 lead. Hager scored with 37 seconds to play in regulation, cutting the RIT lead to 9-8. Erin Riley had a chance with time running out, but Conway came up big in net for RIT, making the stop with four seconds to play.

RIT returns to action on Wednesday, April 22 when they host Buffalo State at 4 p.m.