Maggie Mullin

Women's Lacrosse

Nazareth holds off Fisher, 14-13

Golden Flyers win 29th straight conference game

Box | Updated stats
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Visiting Nazareth won its 29th straight Empire 8 Conference regular-season game Wednesday in women's lacrosse as the Golden Flyers held off a late charge from St. John Fisher to gain a 14-13 win.

Sophomore Michelle Cook scored four goals and added one assist for Nazareth, which improve to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in the Empire 8. Junior Alyssia Roberts added a career-best three goals and Nora Davis, Maggie Mullin and Shannon Lattimore each scored twice. St. John Fisher got four goals from Ashley Fenyn, but the Cardinals dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the E8.

Nazareth has gone unbeaten in conference play four straight seasons with its last regular-season E8 defeat coming April 17, 2004 against Ithaca.

Fisher threatened to end that streak early on as the Cardinals had first-half leads of 2-0, 4-3 and 6-4 before Nazareth rallied to score the last three goals of the first half and the first two of the second to go up 9-6. Goals by Melissa Brennan and Roberts tied the score at 6-6 with 2:58 to play. Then Davis scored unassisted just 43 seconds after Roberts to give Nazareth the lead for good at 7-6.

To start the second half, Cook and Lattimore each scored on free-position shots to extend the lead to 9-6. Nazareth twice expanded its second-half lead to four goals -- at 11-7 and 14-10 -- before Fisher closed the game with three straight goals to make it interesting.

After Fisher had closed to within 11-10 with less than 14 minutes left, Nazareth answered with three straight goals -- Mullin, Lattimore and Roberts -- in a span of 2:42 to go up 14-10.

Fisher's Ashley Fenyn scored off an assist from Courtney Clare with 8:38 left and Meg Merriam scored five minutes after that to close the gap to 14-12. Then with 59 seconds left, Fenyn added the final goal, but Nazareth was able to run out the rest of the clock without further damage.

The game was close statistically as well with Fisher holding a 34-31 shooting edge and Nazareth having a 22-14 edge in ground balls. Cook and Mullin each had four draw controls for Nazareth. Goalie Maria Fusco had a season-high 14 saves.

Nazareth plays twice this weekend -- at home Saturday against RIT at 1 p.m. and at Alfred Sunday at 1 p.m.
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