GENEVA, NY – Tyler Phillips scored four goals and Cas Szwajkowski scored three goals to lead Skidmore College to a 9-8 win over #20 Union College in a Liberty League Women's Lacrosse Semifinal Game Saturday at William Smith's Boswell Field. The Throughbreds improve to 9-8 while the Dutchwomen now stand 11-5.
Jessica Farland scored four goals for Union, and Jen Hughes made 17 saves for the Dutchwomen. Skidmore outshot Union, 32-19 and had a 20-12 ground ball advantage.
Harris opened the scoring 4:49 into the game on a free position shot. Just 1:46 later, Phillips got a pass from Cas Szwajkowski for a 2-0 Thoroughbred lead. Phillips made it 3-0 with 21:11 left in the first with a shot high from the right corner of the net. Union then tied it with three goals in less than three minutes. Jackie Hagopian scored her 35th of the season with a bounce shot in with 19:12 left. Farland scored at 18:08 with a shot from a tough angle on the left and then tied it at 3-3 with a score from 10 yards out.
Skidmore regained the lead at 4-3 when Szwajkowski scored from six yards out with 13:54 left, then Phillips made it a two goal game with 11:43 to play when she came in through traffic. Union's Natalie Sullivan brought it back to one with her 21st at 9:19, as she ran in from 30 yards out. But Skidmore scored the final two goals of the half, as Phillips' fourth of the day and 55th of the year came with 6:40 to play and Harris' 23rd of 2016 on a free position provided the 7-4 halftime lead.
The Thoroughbreds had a 24-9 shot advantage in the first half, and both teams won six draw controls while Skidmore had 11 of the 13 ground balls.
Cailin Pandolfi notched her 25th of the season for Union just 18 seconds into the second half with an assist from Maggie Comiskey from behind the net. Farland came in from 15 yards out with 25:16 left to pull Union to within one at 7-6. Swajkowski had a deke and spin in front with 23:42 left and it was 8-6, but back came Union on Comiskey's 26th goal of the year with a high drive from eight yards out with 18:06 left to make the score 8-7.
Szwajkowski scored her 49th with 12:19 left, the eventual game winner, with a shot from in front of the crease. With 7:09 remaining, Farland scored her 26th of the year when she came around the goalie's right post. Union had a chance in the final two minutes but Skidmore forced a turnover with a minute and a half to play and ran out the clock for the triumph.
Union seniors for 2016 were Farland, Comiskey, Kate Kurchena, Paige Smith, Laura Pacheco, Ashley Allington, and Madison Caron (who was injured).
UPDATE: Union goalie Jen Hughes was named to the All-Tournament Team after Sunday's championship game won by William Smith.
