Oswego, NY – The SUNY Canton women's lacrosse team overcame a four-goal deficit to tie the game at 8-8 with less than five minutes remaining and had a shot to tie in the final minute but fell just short, 9-8, to host Oswego State Thursday afternoon.

Keeley Rice assisted two goals on Thursday.

The hosts scored the first two goals of the game and took a 4-1 advantage midway through the half but the Roos responded as Robyn Carroll (Bowmanville, ON) put home a goal off a free position shot beating Laker goalie Nikki Greco. Esther Gabriel tallied back-to-back scores to open the margin to four for Oswego State. SUNY Canton used a strong end to the half netting three of the final four goals of the frame to trail just 7-5 at intermission.

Hannah Christiansen (Lake View, NY) and Joelle Percy (Black River, NY) led the Roos offensively with a goal and assist each in the opening stanza. Five different players scored as Megan Poupore (Massena, NY) and Tressa Goolden (Canton, NY) also found the back of the net in the opening 30 minutes.

The Roos (2-4) carried the momentum out of halftime as Christiansen posted her sixth goal of the season just 13 seconds into the second period to get the visitors within 7-6. After Oswego State opened the lead to 8-6 it was Percy who got the Roos within one scoring her second of the game with 15:10 remaining off a pass from Keeley Rice (Potsdam, NY).

In a low scoring second half the duo of Rice and Percy hooked up again with 4:09 remaining after a SUNY Canton timeout to knot the game at 8-8. The Lakers (5-1) answered as Emily Lange tallied her third goal of the contest with 3:13 remaining.

The Roos continued to push and Poupore fired a shot on net that would have tied the game with just one minute remaining but Greco was able to make the save as the Lakers possessed the ball in the final minute to hold on for the hard fought 9-8 victory.

Percy paced SUNY Canton with three goals and one assist while Christiansen added two scores

Hannah Christiansen had 2 goals and an assist against the Lakers.

Rice finished with two assists, while Carroll picked up five ground balls and three draw controls. All three of Percy's shot attempts found the back of the net while she added a game-high five caused turnovers to go with three ground balls.

The Roos and Lakers both had 21 shots on goal apiece. SUNY Canton held edges in shots (31-24), ground balls (25-23), draw controls (12-7) and free position shots (6-3). Becca Kieffer (Lee Center, NY) made 12 saves on the day, while Greco turned aside 13 shots.

The women's lacrosse team is back in action on Saturday when it hosts Cazenovia College at 2:00 p.m.