Lauren Ciccarello scored with eight seconds remaining in the game to lift host Marist to a 10-9 victory over the Canisius College women's lacrosse team on Sunday. The two teams, along with Manhattan, finished tied for second in the MAAC standings with a 4-2 record and will meet again next Friday in the semifinals of the MAAC Championship. The Griffs earned the two seed for the tournament, while Marist will be the three seed.
Senior Chelsea Martinez, sophomore Jackie Loson and freshman Rachel Brand led the Griffs with two goals apiece. Senior Ashley Gray and sophomore Taylor Gray also recorded two points to lead the Canisius offense. Ashley scored one goal and added an assist, while Taylor registered two helpers. Sophomore Ashley Curtis and freshman Theresa Walton rounded out the scoring for the Griffs with a goal each.
Sophomore Allison Daley recorded 12 saves in net, while junior Marissa Brown posted a game-high four caused turnover to lead the Canisius defense.
It took Canisius (8-9) just 39 seconds to score the first goal of the afternoon when Ashley Gray scored an unassisted goal. Gray then assisted on the Griffs' second score of the afternoon, feeding Loson to give Canisius an early 2-0 lead. Marist would score two of the next three goals but the Griffs would respond with three-consecutive goals. Brand sparked the run with her first score of the afternoon. Loson and Martinez then both added goals to give Canisius a 6-2 lead. The Red Foxes tallied the final goal of the opening half as Canisius entered halftime with a 6-3 advantage.
Marist (10-4) notched the first two goals of the second stanza but Canisius responded with two goals of its own to reclaim a three-goal advantage, 8-5. However, the Red Foxes tallied the next four goals and took their first lead of the afternoon with 7:22 left in regulation. Canisius would win the ensuing draw control and Walton found the back of the net off a free-position shot to knot the game at nine with 6:17 left in the game.
Both teams had early chances to take the lead after Walton's goal but each goalie recorded a save to preserve the 9-9 tie. Canisius had possession with under a minute remaining in the contest but Marist forced a turnover and Ciccarello found the back of the net with just eight seconds left to give Marist the victory.
Marist outshot the Griffs, 28-26, but Canisius held the advantage in ground balls (21-16) and draw controls (12-8). Cristin Begley led the Red Foxes with four points and three goals, while Kelsey Thoms recorded nine saves in goal to earn the victory.
The two teams will meet again on the campus of Iona College on Friday. Game time will be announced on Monday.
Game Notes: Top-seeded Fairfield will play fourth-seeded Manhattan in the other semifinal on Friday ... Ashley Gray is now five points shy of the school's career record ... Martinez became just the second Griff to score 50 goals in a single season and is just three scores shy of Whitney Card's school record.
