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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Visiting Ithaca used an eight-goal scoring run bridging the first and second halves Saturday to break open a close game in a 12-8 Empire 8 Conference women's lacrosse victory over Nazareth.
 
The Bombers remained unbeaten in conference play at 3-0 and improved to 6-3 overall. Nazareth dropped to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the Empire 8.

With the score tied 4-4 late in the first half, Ithaca scored the last goal of the half to take the lead for good and then added the first seven goals over the first 20 minutes of the second half to build a commanding 12-4 advantage. Riley Marion, Morgan Racicot and Morgan Cadwell each scored twice during that stretch. In addition, Ithaca goalie Kimberly Presuto made 10 saves in the second half to keep Nazareth off the second-half scoreboard until less than eight minutes remained.

Racicot fnished with three goals and two assists and Cadwell also scored three times for the Bombers. Marion and Allison Panara each had two goals. Carly Gates and Nicole DeVona each had two goals for Nazareth. Suzie Gray, Kate Rotrock, Jamie Martin and Haley DeVona also had goals.

The game was close throughout the first half, with Nicole DeVona scoring Nazareth's first two goals. Haley DeVona scored unassisted with 10 minutes left in the half to tie the score at 4-4, but Marion scored for Ithaca with 7:05 left to give the Bombers the lead for good at 5-4.

Ithaca then scored the first seven goals to dominate the first 20 minutes of the second half. Nazareth closed with a four-goal flurry before running out of time. Rothrock, Gates, Martin and Gray closed out the scoring.

Ithaca had advantages in shots (32-31) and ground balls (22-17), while each team won 11 draws. Nazareth converted only three of 12 free-position shots, while Ithaca made four of 11. Freshman Brianna Rizzari made a career-high 12 saves for Nazareth.

The Golden Flyers play again Saturday at Alfred at 4 p.m.