ROCHESTER, NY – Senior Alanna Fallone (Penfield, NY/Penfield) and junior Olivia Africa (Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) each scored five goals as the RIT (3-0) women's lacrosse team came back to beat Nazareth College (1-3) 15-13 in non-conference action from RIT's Turf Field Saturday. The win is the first for RIT against the Golden Flyers since 2017.
 
Nazareth held a slight 33-30 shot advantage, while the Tigers won the ground ball battle 20-16. RIT won 13 draw controls, and went 19-of-25 on clearing attempts.

Africa led RIT with five goals and eight points, while Fallone finished with five goals and six points. Junior McKenna Joint (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) tallied two goals and an assist and senior Skylar Burlee (Churchville, NY/Churhcville-Chili) finished with a goal and two assists. Senior midfielder Steph Darrel chipped in a goal and an assist, and Sophomore Baylee West (Hummelstown, PA/Hershey) scored a goal.
 
Joint and freshman Rachel Border (Westminster, MD/Westminster) each caused two turnovers, while Joint, Border and sophomore Rose Core (Syosset, NY/St. Anthony's) each had three ground balls. Border led the Tigers with seven draw controls, and Senior goalie Paulina Goodermote (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) improved to 3-0 in net for RIT, making 12 saves.
 
Tori Blazey led Nazareth with four goals, while Emma Robinson and Emma States each scored three goals. Eleanor Matz and Jordan Knapp each tallied a goal and an assist for the Golden Flyers and Katie Lawrence took the loss in net, making eight saves.
 
Nazareth tallied four straight goals midway through the first half, taking a 6-2 lead on a goal from Robinson with 6:09 to play. Fallone and Africa each scored for RIT to cut the deficit to 6-4 late in the first half, but Blazey scored with :23 seconds to remaining to give Nazareth a 7-4 halftime lead.
 
The Tigers scored three straight goals to begin the second half, tying the score at 7-7 on Fallone's goal off an assist from Africa. With the score tied 8-8, the Golden Flyers scored three straight goals, taking an 11-8 lead on an Annie Rubel goal with 17:37 to play.

Goals from West and Africa cut the Nazareth lead to 11-10, while Africa sandwiched a goal in between two Nazareth goals, including one from States to give the Golden Flyers a 13-11 lead. Burlee cut the lead to 13-12 with her goal with 10:17 to play, while Fallone tied the score at 13-13 with her goal at the 8:04 mark.

Joint gave RIT its first lead since early in the first half with her goal with 6:04 to play, giving the Tigers a 14-13 lead, and Fallone scored off an assist from Joint with 5:10 to play to give the Tigers a 15-13 lead.

RIT returns to action on Friday, March 26 when the Tigers host No. 12 Ithaca College at 4 p.m. in the Liberty League opener.