Box Score Box | Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Host Nazareth surged to a 12-3 halftime lead Saturday and cruised to a 16-7 women's lacrosse triumph over Elmira in an Empire 8 Conference game.

The Golden Flyers won for the third time in their last four games to improve to 6-7 overall and 3-2 in conference games. The Golden Flyers can clinch a conference playoff berth with a victory Wednesday at Alfred at 7 p.m. Elmira dropped to 5-9 overall and 2-4 in the Empire 8.

Junior Brooke Sullivan scored three goals and added an assist to boost her team-leading point total to 34 on 28 goals and six assists. Senior Amy McIntosh and sophomore Carly Gates also scored three times each and freshman Kate Rothrock had two goals and two assists. Senior Kelsey McNaboe scored twice and freshman Hayley Spoljaric netted her first career goal. Junior Brianna Mancini and freshman Gabrielle Charles also scored.

McIntosh scored twice in the first 10 minutes of play as Nazareth opened a 4-0 lead. Gates and Kate Rothrock also scored in the opening flurry. After Elmira scored, Charles delivered on a free-position shot with 12:30 left in the first half.

Sullivan's first goal of the game came with 11:11 left as Nazareth closed the half by scoring seven of the last eight goals to go up 12-3. Mancini and Spoljaric followed with goals before Elmira's Moorea Spoljaric (Hayley's older sister) scored her second of three goals. McNaboe scored both of her goals in the last three minutes, while Sullivan and Gates each scored before the half ended. Junior Suzie Gray had a stretch of three straight assists.

The second half was more methodical as Nazareth scored four more times to keep the clock running. Kate Rothrock scored less than two minutes into the half and then assisted on McIntosh's third goal of the game at 24:12. Gates and Sullivan each converted free-position shots to close out the Nazareth scoring.

Nazareth had a 33-20 edge in shots and a 20-15 advantage in ground balls. Sullivan won five of Nazareth's 13 draw controls. Senior Tara Prosak made three saves before being replaced late in the game by junior Ashley Kirch, who made two saves.