TROY, N.Y. – Senior Grace Heiting set a new career high with 10 points on eight goals and two assists as the fifth-seeded Union College women's lacrosse team knocked off fourth-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a decisive 19-11 victory in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament on Tuesday night at Renwyck Field.
 
The victory advances Union (7-9) to the Liberty League Tournament semifinals on Saturday, where the Dutchwomen will face off with top-seeded William Smith College in Geneva. Game time is set for 11:30 a.m.
 
Heiting once again proved to be nearly unstoppable on the offensive end, recording five goals and two assists before halftime and adding three more goals in the second half. The senior's 59 goals this season are sixth-most in school history and the most since 2011, while her 79 points are fifth-most ever in a season at Union. Junior Drew Charlton also had a great game with four goals to give her 35 tallies on the year, while junior Dana Truini had two goals and an assist to go with a game-high 10 draw controls as the Dutchwomen established a huge possession edge early on.
 
The game began inauspiciously for the Dutchwomen, as RPI controlled the opening draw and Sabrina Torcellini found the net just nine seconds into the game. But Union turned the tide complete after that, winning six straight draws and scoring on each possession to take a 6-1 lead at the midway point of the frame. Heiting, Charlton and sophomore Anna Smith all had two goals apiece during the run. Goals by Heiting and first-year Greta Maurer followed later in the period to help the visitors take an 8-4 lead after 15 minutes.
 
The Engineers started the second stanza as they did the first, but Union again had a response ready, scoring five of the next six goals to take its largest lead of the half at 13-6. Heiting added two goals and an assist to lead the team once again, including her fifth of the game with 29 seconds left in the half.
 
Union dominated possession over the opening 30 minutes, outshooting RPI by a 24-11 margin and controlling 14-of-22 draws.  
 
Playing with a big lead, Union never allowed RPI to score back-to-back goals in the second half a the Dutchwomen stymied any Engineer attempt at a comeback. Senior Jenna Paszek made six saves and Union got goals from Truini and Heiting in a low-scoring third quarter to take a 15-8 lead into the fourth, where Union outscored RPI 4-3 to seal the win. Heiting scored two more goals to give her 59 on the season, while Charlton capped the scoring with her 35th of the year with 1:18 remaining.
 
Senior Jenna Paszek came up big in the third quarter for Union to prevent the Engineers from mounting a comeback and finished the game with nine saves. Union posted a 34-21 edge in shots on the night.
 
Check UnionAthletics.com later this week for a full semifinal preview as the Dutchwomen will head to Geneva looking for another upset.