Richard's Game-Winner In Final Two Minutes Leads Elms Lacrosse To Victory

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Haley Richard scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes to play and the Elms College lacrosse team fended off a furious attack by the Anchorwomen to pick up a dramatic 6-5 win over Rhode Island College at Leary Field on Thursday night.

Richard (Monson, Mass.) and Alecia Keesee (Westfield, Mass.) scored the game's first two goals to put the Blazers (1-6) ahead 2-0, and Elms led 3-2 at halftime.

RIC evened the score at 4-4 five minutes into the second half, and the game remained tied until Vanessa Vurno (Salem, Conn.) scored a go-ahead goal with 10:50 to play. Rhode Island College's Madison McKenna (Cumberland, R.I.) evened the score once more at 5-5 with 3:02 to play before Richard came up with the game-winner with 1:54 on the clock.

McKenna unleashed a would-be game-tying shot from close range with 15 seconds to play but the attempt was wide, and the Blazers escaped with their first win of the season.

Richard scored four of Elms' six goals, while Vurno and Keesee added the others. Vurno also added two assists in the game.

McKenna scored three goals for the Anchorwomen and Alasondra Apici (Providence, R.I.) netted the other two. RIC goalkeeper Julia Eaton (Cumberland, R.I.) had 16 saves in the game while Elms keeper Emily Huber (Jefferson, Maine) finished with nine. The Blazers attempted 26 shots, including 22 shots on goal. RIC, meanwhile, attempted 18 shots and 10 of them were on goal.

It was rookie skipper Rosamaria Riccobono's first collegiate coaching win.

The Blazers will look to keep the momentum going when they visit Dean on April 4 to open New England Collegiate Conference play. RIC will visit Keene State on March 31.