BOX SCORE

St. John Fisher College won the Empire 8 Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship for the third straight year on Sunday, as the second-seeded Cardinals knocked off top-seeded Ithaca College with a 6-3 win over the host Bombers.

With the win, Fisher improves to 15-4 overall, tying the College record for wins in a season for the third straight year.   The victory also guarantees the Cardinals, ranked 15^th nationally, a bid into the NCAA Division III Championship.   Pairings for NCAAs are scheduled to be announced late tonight.

 It was the third straight year Fisher has defeated the Bombers on their home field in the Empire 8 title game and avenged a 9-7 loss to Ithaca earlier in the season.

Sophomore goalie Nicole Hart was named as the Empire 8 Championship's Most Valuable Player.  After making a career-high 12 stops on Fisher's 13-4 win over Nazareth in Saturday's semifinals, she made 11 stops in Sunday's title game, including nine in the second half.

Senior Taylor Hughes, Logan Barnard, Marykate Edmunds and Jill Zerrillo were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Fisher led 2-0 at the half.   Sierra Badger scored in the opening minute on a free position shot, while Badger assisted on a goal from freshman Jordan Johnson with just over 10 minutes left in the half to put the Cardinals up 2-0.

Hughes scored two goals in the opening four minutes of the second half to put the Cardinals up 4-0.  Ithaca snapped its scoreless streak with a goal with 25:13 left in the game, but Fisher would keep the ball out of its net for the following 17 minutes.

Hughes made it 5-1 with 13 minutes left in the game and Badger scored her second free position goal of the day with just over nine minutes to go.

Hart and the Fisher defend took care of business from there on out.   Hart stopped nine shots in the final 16 minutes, including five saves in the final five minutes.  

Barnard and Edmunds led the Fisher defense with two caused turnovers.  Edmunds and Samantha Barton totaled a team-high three ground balls, while

Badger led Fisher with three draw controls.