SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Union College women's lacrosse team started Liberty League play on Saturday morning, falling to Capital Region rival Skidmore College by a 15-3 score at Wachenheim Field.
 
Seniors Drew Charlton, Katie Julien and Sydney McPartlon had the goals for Union (4-2, 0-1 Liberty League), which saw its four-game winning streak snapped. Gabriella Modesti led Skidmore (6-1, 2-0 Liberty League) with four goals and two assists for a game-high six points.
 
Union struggled to get quality offense possessions against a smothering Skidmore defense in the opening quarter, managing only one shot and turning the ball over eight times. After an early Union miscue, the Thoroughbreds scored on their first three possessions in the span of 76 seconds to take an early lead. The visitors finally got on the board with 5:05 left on a free-position snipe from McPartlon, but the home team added a player-up goal soon after to take a 4-1 lead after 15 minutes.
 
The visitors generated some more scoring opportunities in the second stanza, but still found themselves down by three goals at the half. Following another early Skidmore tally, Julien found the net 4:55 into the period and Charlton followed with a free-position score with 6:09 on the clock to get within two. After a turnover, however, the Thoroughbreds added another tally to regain their three-goal edge at 6-3.
 
Skidmore put the game away with a dominant third period, scoring three goals in the opening three minutes and seven times overall to take a 13-3 advantage into the final frame. The home team added two more goals in a quick-moving fourth quarter to finish off the game.
 
The Thoroughbreds finished the day with a 30-12 edge in shots, thanks in part to Union's 28 turnovers. First-year Sydney Widlitz allowed 12 goals on 16 shots to suffer her first loss of the year, while junior Hannah Dubinsky allowed three goals and made four saves over the final 19:52 of action.
 
Union will return home on Wednesday to continue Liberty League play against another local rival, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, beginning at 6 p.m. at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.