Lacrosse Falls to Sacred Heart, 10-8, in Northeast Conference Home Opener

(box score)

3/26/06 -- Long Island University junior Amy Rizzo (Jackson, N.J.) scored five goals and added an assist in a hard-fought 10-8 loss to Northeast Conference rival Sacred Heart at LIU Field on Sunday evening. The Blackbirds drop to 1-5 overall, 0-2 in conference play.

Senior Ashley Cockram(Orlando, Fla.) scored a goal and an assist. Classmate Nichole Lopez (Highland Mills, N.Y.) and freshman Allison Funk (Lumberton N.J.) added one goal apiece.

Rizzo opened scoring, registering a score 39 seconds into the game. The Pioneers (1-7, 1-0 NEC) would tally the game’s next two goals. Emily Tully and Heather Gureckis notched goals to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Rizzo converted a free position shot from the center hash to tie the game at 2-2 at the 16:23 mark. Sacred Heart tallied three consecutive goals, by three different players, to push to a 5-2 advantage with just over five minutes remaining.

The Blackbirds battled back as Lopez netted a shot to the lower left side and Rizzo nailed a free position attempt with seven seconds showing to cut the margin to 5-4 at the half.

Tully registered two scores in the first thirty seconds of the second stanza and Mary Montesarchio chipped in another goal at the 24:03 mark to push the Pioneers to an 8-5 advantage.

With 16:47 remaining and trailing 10-5, Rizzo rolled left, dodging three defenders to make a free position shot and trim the lead to four. The goal was the 100th of her three-year career.

Cockram added a free position goal 31 seconds later and Rizzo tallied her fifth score, off a feed from Chrissie Carleton (Jackson, N.J.), to pull to 10-8 with 12:43 remaining.

The Pioneers grabbed the ensuing draw and maintained possession for the majority of the closing 10 minutes to seal the victory.