SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY —  The No. 6 seed RIT (8-10) women's lacrosse team won its first Liberty League Tournament game in program history with an exciting 15-14 victory over No. 3 seed Skidmore College (11-7) in the 2018 Liberty League Women's Lacrosse Quarterfinal Tuesday afternoon. The Tigers pick up their first postseason win since 2009. Senior Brooks Melnyk (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) scored the game-winning goal with 2:04 remaining in regulation. In addition, head coach Jeff McGuigan became the first RIT women's lacrosse coach to win 100 career games.

"Today was a game where other players stepped up," said McGuigan, who is 100-96 in 12 seasons at the university. "It made all the difference in the game."

Shots were 42-24 in favor of Skidmore, who also held a 27-18 ground ball edge. The Tigers won 15 draw controls, went 13-of-22 on clears and converted 5-of-9 on free position attempts. 

Emily Livecchi (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) led the Tigers with three goals and three assists, giving her 97 points on the season. Alanna Fallone (Penfield, NY/Penfield) tallied four goals, and Meghan Donahue (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) scored three goals. Melnyk and Steph Darrell (East Norhtport, NY/St. Anthony's) each scored two goals. Rebekah Snitkoff (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Warde) was outstanding in net, making a career-high 16 saves. Liz Bova (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) caused two turnovers, including one in the final seconds to preserve the win. Maddi Dillabough (Massena, NY/Massena) won six draw controls, while Maegan Schmauder (Franklin, MA/Franklin) won five draws and added a goal and an assist.

Cas Szwajkowski led Skidmore with five goals. Marisa Caponi and Lilla Seymour each tallied two goals. Caroline Kenlon took the loss in net, making three saves. 

RIT led 8-6 at halftime despite being out-shot 20-12 over the first 30 minutes. Darrell and Livecchi led the Tigers with two goals apiece. Schmauder added a goal and an assist, while Snitkoff made nine saves.

Livecchi gave the Tigers an early 2-0 lead on consecutive goals to start the game. After a Seymour goal cut the lead to 2-1, Melnyk gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead on her goal with 27:14 remaining. Gracey Connerty tied the score at 3-3 on her goal at the 19:01 mark of the half. Seymour gave the Thoroughbreds their first lead on her goal with 11:18 to play.

Goals from Donahue and Schmauder gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead at the 6:54 mark. Emily Hirsch tied the score at 6-6, but goals from Darrell and Fallone late in the half gave the Tigers a two-goal lead. Darrell scored on a free position shot, while Fallone scored off an assist from Livecchi with 36 seconds remaining. 

Donahue extended the RIT lead to 9-6 on her second goal of the game off an assist from Livecchi 40 seconds into the second half. Amanda Orvis answered for Skidmore with her goal at the 28:17 mark, cutting the RIT lead to 9-7. Natalie LeBeau cut the Tigers lead to 9-8 on her free position goal at the 26:33 mark of the second half.

Livecchi appeared to score but was called for being in the crease giving the ball to Skidmore. The Thoroughbreds cleared the ball up the field into their offensive zone. Anna Boogaerts got free in front and fired a shot, but Snitkoff came up with the big save for the Tigers. RIT cleared the ball, working it around to Livecchi. She drove and scored extending the RIT lead to 10-8 lead with 23:26 remaining in regulation.

After a Szwajkowski goal cut the RIT lead to 10-9, Donahue scored her third goal of the game, converting a free position goal with 19:40 remaining to give the Tigers an 11-9 lead. Skidmore answered with two straight goals, tying the score at 11-11 on Szwajkowski's goal with 16:42 to play. 

Seymour had a chance to give Skidmore a lead, but Snitkoff came up with the huge save to keep the game tied with a little over 13 minutes to play in the second half. She came up with another big save this time on a shot from Orvis at the 13:17 mark. After a RIT clear, Fallone gave the Tigers a 12-11 lead on her second goal of the game. 

Fallone extended the RIT lead to 13-11 on her second straight goal, and third of the game with 10:59 remaining. Boogaerts cut the RIT lead to 13-12 on her goal off an assist from LeBeau with 8:44 remaining. Szwajkowski tied the score at 13-13 on her fifth goal of the game with 5:34 remaining. The Thoroughbreds won the ensuing draw, but were whistled for a yellow card, giving the ball back to RIT.

Fallone gave the Tigers a 14-13 lead on her woman-up goal off an assist from Rigas with 3:43 to play in regulation. Skidmore answered right back on Caponi's goal with 2:47 remaining. Rigas won the ensuing draw for RIT. Savannah Clemens (Livonia, NY/Livonia) worked the ball to Melnyk, who tallied her second of the game with 2:04 to play to give the Tigers a 15-14 lead. 

Snitkoff came up with yet another save, this time on a free position attempt by Abby Sanford with 1:13 remaining. Bova caused a turnover on Boogaerts with four seconds remaining to help secure the win for the Tigers.  

RIT will play No. 2 Ithaca College in the Liberty League Semifinals on Saturday, May 5 at 2:30 p.m. in Geneva, N.Y. The Bombers rallied to beat RIT, 14-10 this past Saturday.