Lacrosse Falls 9-8 to Farmingdale in Skyline Championship Game

Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State women's lacrosse team captured the Skyline Conference Championship today with a 9-8 victory over #2 seed St. Joseph's (13-5). The Rams (18-1) now receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship.   The Golden Eagles led, or were locked in a tie, through the 19:43 mark of the first half until there was 13:12 left in the game - when Farmingdale pulled ahead for good.

Farmingdale's junior midfielder Nicole Marzocca (North Babylon, N.Y.) was named the Skyline Tournament MVP after posting three goals and six assists in the two-round tournament.   Junior attacker Caitlynn Webber (Eastport, N.Y.) led the charge for the Golden Eagles with three goals and one assist today.

Farmingdale State went up 2-0 in the first six minutes with scores from junior attack Jackie Kennedy (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Lisa Olen (East Islip, N.Y.). St. Joseph's scored four straight from sophomore attack Heather Ferchland (Selden, N.Y.), two straight from Webber and one from junior attack Kacie Mitterando (Mastic Beach, N.Y.), to hold a 4-2 advantage with 17 minutes left in the first. Junior midfielder Christy Thoden (Bayport, N.Y.) and Olen each notched a goal over the next five minutes as the Rams tied it up again, 4-4.

St. Joseph's Ferchland and sophomore defender Kristine Minogue (Miller Place, N.Y.) put the Golden Eagles up by two with 1:21 left in the half, before junior midfielder Alyssa Handel (Medford, N.Y.) cut the Rams deficit to one, 6-5, with a goal at the 19-second mark.

In the second half, Kenndy tied the game at 6-6 with an unassisted goal at 22:08, but junior attack Grace Ann Fallon (Kings Park, N.Y.) responded for St. Joseph's to grab the one goal lead, 7-6.

Farmingdale State grabbed the final lead of the game with a three-goal spurt. Goals came from Thoden, Marzocca and sophomore attack Kimberly Pepe (Levittown, N.Y.) for a 9-7 lead with 8:53 remaining in regulation. Cait Webber scored an goal with 18 seconds left, but the Rams held on for the win and their first Skyline Title since 2009.

Freshman goalkeeper Krista Spagnoletta (West Islip, N.Y.) made eight saves in the win, while freshman goalkeeper Courtney Wickline (Medford, N.Y.) made 11 saves in defeat.

Farmingdale State will now await word of their opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, May 4 at 9:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.  St. Joseph's awaits either at at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament or a berth in the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament.

(Recap partially provided courtesy of Farmingdale Athletic Communications)