LAROCHE SHINES IN 2-1 LOSS TO NAZARETH

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Despite 13 saves by sophomore goalkeeper Tori LaRoche (Hudson, N.H.), the Emmanuel College Saints dropped the first game of the RIT Tournament by a score of 2-1 to the Nazareth College Golden Flyers. The loss sends the Saints to 0-2 overall in 2015, while Nazareth improves to 1-0-1.

Just two nights removed from making ten stops against MIT, LaRoche saw 27 shots fired at the goal over the course of the 90 minute affair. It took Nazareth nearly 36 minutes to beat LaRoche, as freshman Mary LoCicero (Fairport, N.Y.) took a feed from fellow frosh Jessica Byrnes (Rochester, N.Y.) and scored on a rip from outside the 18-yard box.

The Golden Flyers found insurance relatively early in the second half when senior Brianna Vibbard (Sherburne, N.Y.) scored her first of the season in 65th minute, doubling the lead to 2-0.

Emmanuel, a side that has shown a lot of pride in the young season, answered quickly with a goal of their own. Junior Savannah Lundwall (Fiskdale, Mass.) cut the Nazareth lead in half when she tallied her first goal of the year just five minutes after Vibbard's goal. 

Nazareth junior goalkeeper Allison Dobles (Spencerport, N.Y.) turned away six shots, keeping the Saints from finding an equalizer late in the second half to earn the victory for the Golden Flyers, her first of the season.

The Saints face a quick turnaround as they square off with tournament host Rochester Institute of Technology on Sunday at 2:00 p.m in search of the first victory of the 2015 campaign.