BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The Union College women's lacrosse team was outscored by a 7-1 margin over the final 20 minutes and saw SUNY Brockport score the game-winning goal with 10 seconds left in regulation as the Golden Eagles came back for a 9-8 victory over the Garnet Chargers in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at A. Parker Huntley Jr. Field.
 
Junior Gillian Joseph led all players with three goals and four points for Union (1-2), followed by Christina Guanci with three points all via assists. Junior Anna Dembowski had another huge game defensively for the visitors, leading all players with six ground balls and six caused turnovers.
 
The game started well for the visitors, as Union jumped out to a 4-1 lead after 15 minutes. Joseph single-handedly got the team out to a three-goal advantage early on, scoring three times in the span of 3:36 to put the Garnet Chargers up 3-0 at the midway point of the first frame. After the home team got on the board, junior Hannah Compa scored player-up in the final seconds of the period and then the visitors got goals from senior Lana Mickelson and sophomore Caroline Murphy in the second stanza to take a 6-1 lead. Brockport got one back in the final seconds to make it a 6-2 game at the half.
 
Mickelson scored the first goal of the third quarter to regain Union's largest lead of the game at 7-2 with 11:57 to go in the third. However, the goals dried up for Union after that, as the Garnet Chargers scored just once the rest of the way while Brockport mounted a comeback.
 
Union still led by a 7-3 score entering the fourth frame before the Golden Eagles scored the first two goals of the stanza. Junior Maddy Schiller temporarily quelled the momentum with her team-leading seventh goal of the season, making the score 8-5 with 9:32 remaining. Schiller was stopped on Union's next possession and Brockport responded with two goals in 43 seconds to make it a one-goal game with 6:02 left. A save by senior Sydney Widlitz and a Dembowski caused turnover kept Union in front, but the visitors could not convert on their next possession to give the ball back to Brockport. Emily Schiffer tied the game with 1:13 left for the home team, who then controlled the subsequent draw and found the net again from Alivia Cross with 10 ticks to take their first and only lead of the game.
 
Union finished the game with a 27-25 edge in shots, but Arianna Reed made 12 saves – including six in the second half – to keep her team in the contest and allow for the comeback. Widlitz made seven stops for the Garnet Chargers at the other end.
 
The Garnet Chargers will play their next three games back home in Schenectady after a break for finals, beginning on Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m. against Colorado College.