The St. John Fisher College women’s lacrosse team defeated host Nazareth College 9-8 in overtime in the finals of the Empire 8 Conference Championship on Sunday.

 

With the win, Fisher, who has already set a program-record for wins in a season, improves to 14-5 and earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship and will face host Drew University (NJ) on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

 

Junior Laurie Quackenbush (Penn Yan Academy/Penn Yan) scored the game-winning goal, her 40th goal of the season, on a free-position shot to snap the 8-8 deadlock with 1:24 left.

It was Fisher's first lead of a game that was tied 6-6, 7-7 and 8-8.

 

Nazareth had two chances to tie the score in the closing minute of overtime, but Fisher goalie Danielle Murphy (Skaneateles/Skaneateles) made one save with :43 left and stopped a free-position shot with :39 remaining to preserve the victory.

Murphy finished with a career-high 21 saves for the Cardinals, while allowing just one goal on 12 free-position attempts.

 

Fisher trailed 6-4 late in the first half, but managed to tie the game before intermission.  Katie Glavin (Corcoran/Syracuse) scored with 4:22 left in the half and Ashley Fenyn (Newark/Newark) found the back of the cage in the final minute of the opening period to tie the game at 6-6.

 

In the second half, the Golden Flyers struck first, scoring with 17:44 left in regulation, but Fisher answered just 41 seconds later, as Caitlin Navor (Brighton/Rochester) scored off an assist from Fenyn.

 

A free-position goal enabled Nazareth to regain the lead, 8-7, with 14:18 left, but Fisher responded yet again as Theresa Nobilski (Brighton/Rochester) netted the tying goal with 6:27 left in regulation.

 

Nobilski and Quackenbush each finished with two goals, while Haley Koperski (Brighton/Rochester) totaled two assists.  Jen Springett (Newark/Newark) and Lauren Glavin (Corcoran/Syracuse) also scored in the win.

 

Fisher advanced to the championship game with a 14-12 win in overtime over Ithaca College on Saturday at Nazareth.

 

In a game that featured 10 lead-changes, Lauren Glavin forced overtime with a goal with three seconds left in regulation.

 

In overtime, Lauren Glavin scored two minutes into the extra period to give Fisher the lead for good, while sister Katie Glavin added an insurance-goal less than one minute later.

 

Lauren Glavin finished with a career-high six goals and added an assist, while Fenyn tallied a career-high four points on three goals and one assist.

 

Nobilski and Koperski each finished with a goal and an assist, while Ramona Walters (Corcoran/Syracuse) and Springett each scored a goal.