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Megan Previdi looks to pass a ball against Fairfield at Rafferty Stadium in Fairfield, Conn.
12
Winner Niagara NIAGARA 5-7, 4-0
11
Canisius CANISIUS 8-4, 2-2
Winner
Niagara NIAGARA
5-7, 4-0
12
Final
11
Canisius CANISIUS
8-4, 2-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Niagara NIAGARA 4 3 1 4 12
Canisius CANISIUS 3 2 3 3 11

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Niagara Mounts Comeback to Beat Women's Lacrosse

Niagara scored four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to erase a two-goal deficit and defeat Battle of the Bridge rival Canisius, 12-11, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women's lacrosse action Wednesday at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y.

Niagara won its fourth consecutive game and improved to 5-7 overall and 4-0 in conference action with the one-goal victory. Canisius dropped to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in league play with the loss.

Maddy Gill scored a team-high four goals while Olivia Ng added three goals and an assist to pace the Niagara attack. Sydney Hutala grabbed five ground balls and caused four turnovers to lead the defensive effort for the Purple Eagles. Goaltender Haley Terry earned the victory in net, making 10 saves on 21 shots.

Freshman Ella Forcucci recorded a game-high five goals to lead Canisius while senior Maggie Tifft contributed three goals. Freshman Brooklyn Sverdrup collected eight draw controls as the Golden Griffins won the battle in the circle by a 16-9 margin. Graduate student Isabel Gautreaux started the game in net and made three saves on eight shots until was relieved in the second quarter by junior Olivia Licardi, who finished with five saves on 12 shots.

Trailing 10-8 early in the fourth quarter, Niagara tallied a pair of player-up goals from Michaela Delles and Gill on the same yellow card to knot the score at 10-10. 

Gill put the Purple Eagles in front with 2:43 remaining on a feed from Ng before Delles added an insurance marker just 29 seconds after Gill's go-ahead goal to give Niagara a 12-10 cushion. 

Tifft completed her hat trick with a player-up goal that pulled Canisius within one with 1:04 left on the clock. Niagara was able to close out the contest, winning the ensuing draw and holding possession for the remainder of the contest to secure the 12-11 victory.

Earlier in the contest, Forcucci completed a first quarter hat trick with her third free-position goal of the frame to give Canisius a 3-2 lead with 2:57 left in the opening frame. Niagara was able to find the back of the net two times before the period came to the close to close out the opening frame and hold a 4-3 edge at the end of the first.

Canisius regained the lead at the start of the second as it used goals from junior Ashlyn Dhandwar and Forcucci to surge back in front, 5-4. The Purple Eagles responded to the Griffs two-goal push, notching the final three goals of the first half to carry a 7-5 advantage into the locker room. 

Junior Megan Previdi netted her 10th goal of the season at the 6:24 mark of the third quarter which sparked a 5-1 Canisius run that spanned into the fourth quarter and gave the Blue and Gold an 10-8 advantage with 10:31 left to go in the contest, providing the setting for the Purple Eagles' late-game comeback. 

GAME NOTES
• Wednesday's game was the 35th all-time meeting between the two programs. Niagara leads the series with an 18-17 record.
• Forcucci turned in her fifth five-goal outing of the season on Wednesday. She leads the conference and is the highest scoring freshman in the nation with 43 goals.
• Senior Briaunna D'Andrade turned in her fourth game of the season with multiple ground balls and 12th of her career.
• Tifft recorded her second hat trick of the season and fifth of her career.
• Sverdrup won five-or-more draw controls for the fifth time this season. She won 72 draws in her freshman season and averages six per game, which ranks third in the conference and 32nd in the nation.

UP NEXT
Canisius closes out a two-game homestand Saturday with a MAAC matinee against Marist. Start time for the matchup between the Griffs and Red Foxes is slated for 10 a.m. at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

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