Box Score Box Score

PITTSFORD, N.Y.--The Nazareth College women's lacrosse team scored a free position goal with 8 minutes, 4 seconds left in the game to edge William Smith for a 15-14 win in the season opener for both teams this afternoon.

Chelsey Amidon led the Golden Flyers with a game-high five goals and added an assist. Michelle Cook also registered six points on four goals and two helpers. Alyssa Johnston scored two goals.

Seven different players scored for William Smith. Junior Callie Frelinghuysen recorded a team high five points on four goals and an assist. Junior Lucy Johnson tallied four goals. Junior Katherine Vesce scored twice, and sophomore Marissa Potter earned two assists. Sophomore Liz Seidel tied for a team-high with three ground balls and caused three turnovers.

The back-and-forth contest featured nine ties with both teams trading goals every few minutes. Amidon opened the game with her first goal 52 seconds in. Junior Kathryn Gillan tied the game at one on a free position goal. Megan Cregan gave the Golden Flyers the lead, but then Frelinghuysen and Seidel scored back-to-back goals to give William Smith its first lead of the game at 3-2. Goals by Amidon and Erinn Wood gave Nazareth back the lead, but Johnson and Frelinghuysen responded to give the Herons a 5-4 advantage with 12:59 on the clock.

Nazareth came back with three straight goals. Johnston and Cook scored free position goals, and Amidon logged her third goal of the day to put the Golden Eagles on top by two. Johnson capitalized on a free position to make it 7-6 with 3:30 left in the opening half. Kristine Olijnyk and Cook scored just 16 seconds apart to build the largest lead of the game, putting Nazareth up 9-6 with 1:41 left in the half. Johnson scored another free position goal to make the score 9-7 going into the break.

The Herons started off the second half with two goals, and the Golden Flyers responded with two goals of their own all in the opening 2:28. Johnson scored an unassisted goal to cut William Smith's deficit to one at 11-10. Just 40 seconds later, Kayleigh Pearson scored her first goal of the year for Nazareth. Goals by sophomore Katie Dexter and Frelinghuysen tied the game up at 12 with 23:39 on the clock.

Cook's third goal of the afternoon put the Golden Flyers on top, but junior Rosie Scheibel tied it up at 13 just 44 seconds later. Amdion and Vesce traded goals for the game's ninth tie, and Cook scored the game winner with 8:04 left in regulation.

Sophomore Jesse Wilson made seven saves in 52:45 in goal for the Herons. First-year Maggie McNair played 7:15 and stopped six shots. In goal for Nazareth, Tara Prosak played 44:47 and recorded five saves. Shelby Robinson came in to play 15:13 and finished with one save.

Nazareth held a 39-25 advantage in shots and a 28-16 lead in ground balls. The Golden Flyers also had a slight 16-15 edge in draw controls.

William Smith will be back in action March 15, when the Herons take on Babson in their first game of the Lindley Tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla.