Women's Lacrosse Averts Monumental Comeback
Kimberly Commisso won 13 draw controls and scored five goals

Women's Lacrosse Averts Monumental Comeback

Women's Lacrosse - 4/14/2014 8:42:00 PM

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Scranton, PA – With the game on the line, Marywood University goalkeeper Lauren Smith made two saves in the final 1:44 to stave a Mount St. Mary (N.Y.) comeback. The Pacers held off for an 18-17 victory Monday over the Knights in a non-conference women's lacrosse rescheduled from February.

After Mount St. Mary came within one of the Pacers with 2:46 left, Smith made a kick save on a Jen Gries shot. After Amanda Khozouri retained possession with a ground ball, the Knights received another chance with 45 seconds remaining. Claire Duffy's second shot was batted down by Smith, and Emily Osborne hustled her way to pick the ground ball and sparked a successful clear to conclude the game.

Smith finished with 11 saves and a team-high four ground balls for the game.

Sarah Caughy led the Pacers with five goals and an assist for six points. Kimberly Commisso also added five goals. Commisso, who came into Monday's game as the NCAA's active career leader in ground balls, racked 13 draw controls and caused two turnovers.

Dana Grossjung went 4-for-5 on free-position shots for a four-goal outing that coupled with her three caused turnovers. Kathy DiGiacomo had two goals, and Stacy Griffing added three points on a goal and two assists.

Mary Ninivaggi, Grossjung and Osborne all produced three ground balls.

The Pacers were on cruise control through the first 10 minutes following an early stumble on a Katie Gattoni score for the Knights. Caughy's unassisted goal to tie the game ignited a six-goal run that was capped by a Grossjung free position shot to go ahead 6-1 with 21:01 left in the first period.

Little by little, Mount St. Mary chipped away at the Pacers lead with three goals over a 10 minute span to move itself within two goals. Commisso put a stop to the run with a free-position goal at 9:30. Gattoni tallied her second (8;43) before a three-goal run with two by Commisso and a lone strike from Caughy, doubling up the Knights at 10-5. Commisso scored her fourth of the period with 88 seconds remaining that took the Pacers into the break with a four-goal lead at 11-7.

The second half started off especially strong in Marywood's favor – four of the first five goals were scored by gold uniforms. Michelle Thompson bookended the run at 22:18, with an assist from Griffing, that made it a 15-8 lead for Marywood.

Mount St. Mary needed 12 seconds to begin its quest for a comeback, thanks to Gattoni's goal off the draw. The Knights scored seven of nine goals, and Caughy was the only Pacer to score in the final 22 minutes of the game. MSM cut it to two at 17-15; however, Caughy rampaged her way to net to score the game's deciding goal at 3:52. Mount St. Mary accumulated two goals over 27 seconds, and Jen Gries put the Knights within one of sending the game into overtime.

Marywood's Kimberly Commisso tried to put the game out of reach at the 1:06 mark, but freshman goalkeeper Fae Kuhnen made the stop to give the Knights one last chance.

The Knights outshot their opponents, 36-27, including a 23-12 advantage in the second half. The Pacers scooped up 24 ground balls, while the Knights managed 20. The Knights were successful on 14-of-17 clear attempts, while Marywood completed just 16-of-25.

Gattoni had six goals and two assists for the visiting Knights. Erica Massman (four points) and Nicole Scicutella (five) each logged hat tricks. Kuhnen suffered her first collegiate loss with seven stops.

Marywood wraps its regular season on Thursday at Gwynedd Mercy University. The game will likely decide the third seed in the Colonial States Athletic Conference playoffs. 
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