TROY — Senior standout Grace Heiting starred Tuesday as the Union College women’s lacrosse team defeated rival RPI in the first round of the Liberty League playoffs.
In a 19-11 win at RPI’s Renwyck Field, Heiting registered eight goals and two assists to lead fifth-seeded Union past fourth-seeded RPI. The victory was the third in a row for Union, which advanced to play top-seeded William Smith in Saturday’s semifinals.
RPI had defeated Union 15-13 during the regular season. In the postseason, RPI (11-5) scored first, but Union (7-9) answered with the game’s next six goals. Union led 8-4 after one quarter, then followed an RPI goal with a 5-1 run in the second. From there, Union’s lead never dwindled to fewer than six and grew to as many as nine.
Besides Heiting’s game-high 10 points, Union received four goals from Drew Charlton, and two goals apiece from Dana Nelson, Dana Truini and Anna Smith. Truini also had an assist and 10 draw controls, while Jenna Paszek made nine saves.
For RPI, Sabrina Torcellini had two goals and three assists.
During the regular season, William Smith defeated Union 14-8. William Smith was 15-1 during the regular season and has won its last 11 games.
Saturday’s semifinal matchup in Geneva is set for 11:30 a.m.
Union 8 5 2 4 — 19
RPI 4 3 1 3 — 11
Union scoring: Heiting 8-2, Charlton 4-0, Truini 2-1, Nelson 2-0, Smith 2-0, Maurer 1-0, Julien 0-1. RPI scoring: Torcellini 2-3, Maready 2-1, Shay 2-1, Goddard 2-0, Graff 1-1, DeLeo 2-0. Goalies: Union, Paszek, 9 saves. RPI, Canfield, 6 saves; Lucas, 3 saves.
Categories: -Sports-, College Sports, Union College
