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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Junior
Jamie Martin scored three goals and added two assists and sophomore
Haley DeVona contributed three goals Saturday as Nazareth defeated visiting Utica, 15-5, in the teams' regular-season finale for women's lacrosse.
The victory clinched a playoff berth for the Golden Flyers, who will be the fourth seed for next weekend's four-team Empire 8 Conference Tournament at Ithaca. Nazareth will play the top-seeded Bombers (12-4) Saturday at 11 a.m. The Bombers clinched the top seed and hosting privlages with a 12-11 win over St. John Fisher Saturday. Nazareth improved to 11-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Utica dropped to 9-7 overall and 4-4 in the E8. St. John Fisher (14-3) and Stevens (10-6) will play in the other first-round matchup Saturday at Ithaca. The championship game is Sunday at 12 p.m.
Saturday's game was close early before Nazareth scored four times over the final 5:42 of the first half and scored just 53 seconds into the second half to go up 8-2. Utica, however, rallied to score three straight goals to close within 8-5, but Nazareth kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard for the final 24 minutes and pulled away by scoring the game's last seven goals.
Sophomore
Katie Carroll also scored twice for Nazareth and added two assists. Junior
Nicole DeVona scored two goals. Nine different players scored for the Golden Flyers with
Carly Gates,
Kate Rothrock,
Gabbie Charles,
Suzie Gray and
Jessica Locey also scoring.
Nicole DeVona scored both of her goals for Nazareth in the first 12 minutes as the Golden Flyers went up 3-1. Then after Courtney Wheeler scored her first of three goals for Utica, Nazareth reeled off the next five goals -- two by Martin and one each for Gates, Charles and
Haley DeVona -- to take a commanding 8-2 lead.
Utica answered with two more goals by Wheeler and one by Rebecca Plunkett to pull within 8-5. Carroll ended that string with an unassisted score with 18:06 to play, touching off a seven-goal scoring spree to finish the game. Gray scored just 1:26 after Carroll, then Martin's third goal of the game came off a pass from Rothrock. Carroll then gained an assist on Locey's goal with 10:41 left and Carroll scored herself just 1:04 later.
Haley DeVona then added the final two goals just 51 seconds apart.
Nazareth also got a strong game in goal from freshman Briana Rizzari, who made a career-high 14 saves, including nine in the second half. Nazareth had a 33-25 edge in shots and won 15 off 22 draw controls. Gates won four draws and Gray won three.
Nazareth also honored before the game its four graduating seniors, who were competing at home for the final time.
Kayla McKay and
Hannah Dunsmoor were honored alsong with Gates and Gray. The Golden Flyers also acknowledged assistant coaches
Kim Masterton and
Amy McIntosh.