SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Defense was on display as the St. John Fisher College women's lacrosse team shut down Skidmore College, 8-4, Friday evening inside Wachenheim Field. With the win, Fisher, which is receiving votes in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association national poll, improves to 4-6 on the season, while Skidmore falls to 2-10 overall. 
 
Freshman Sydney Carpenter led the offense with two goals and one assist, while Kathleen Salanger and Mykenzie Black each produced two points. Goodsell earned her fourth win (4-6) after saving nine shots during the game.
 
Opening the game, Salanger maneuvered her way through the defense and found the back of the net for the first goal of the game. 
 
With just over seven minutes left in the first quarter, the Thoroughbreds found themselves in Cardinal territory with a chance to score. However, goalie Lilly Goodsell would put her stick on the ball for one of her nine saves in the game.
 
Turning defense to offense, the Cardinals successfully cleared the ball as Mary Fiorentino pushed her way into Thoroughbred territory and earned a free position shot. On the whistle, Fiorentino sniped the ball into the net for the Cardinals second goal. 
 
From there, Fisher would hold the Skidmore defense scoreless in the first quarter, taking a 2-0 lead into the second frame. 
 
The Fisher lead would be extended to three following a yellow card from the Thoroughbreds, setting Cara Landry up with a free position player-advantage goal. 
 
With under five minutes to go in the half, a Fisher turnover allowed the Thoroughbreds to put their first goal on the board. 
 
Closing out the first half, Skidmore would cut the lead to one after a timeout would set up the Thoroughbreds up to score their second goal. 
 
With the crowd anticipating halftime, Salanger had other plans, as the senior scored her second goal of the game with just five seconds showing on the clock. 
 
Following the break, a defensive quarter slowed both offenses down, until Skidmore managed to score two free position goals to tie the game up 4-all.
 
Before the quarter ended, Bianca Giacona was able to prevent the shutout as she sprinted down the field and juked her way through the Thoroughbreds defense to score and retake the lead 5-4 with nine seconds remaining in the third. 
 
The fourth quarter was all Fisher, as the Cardinals defense shined, preventing Skidmore from scoring in the 15 minutes of play. The Cardinals would put a three spot on the board as goals from Salanger, Carpenter, and Black would extend the Fisher lead 8-4. A pair of forced turnovers from the Cardinal defense allowed the offense to run the clock out and give Fisher its second-straight win.
 
The Cardinals will be back in action at 1 p.m. on Saturday as they travel to Albany to take on Russell Sage in an Empire 8 matchup.