Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team used a big momentum swing at the end of the first half to erase a deficit and carry them to a 10-7 victory over St. John Fisher College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Sunday.
 
The win puts the seventh-ranked Lions (17-3) into the third round the tournament against Bowdoin College, which defeated Bridgewater State, 22-9. That game will be played on Saturday, May 16 at Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
 
St. John Fisher College, which is ranked 19^th nationally, completed their successful season at 14-6.
 
The Lions were down a goal in the waning seconds of the opening period, but scored twice in the final 10 seconds to take the lead for good.
 
The Cardinals opened the scoring 1:44 into the game when Sierra Peebles tallied unassisted.
 
TCNJ answered with three consecutive goals to take its first lead of the game with sophomore Jaclyn Douglas (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) getting the initial goal for the hosts. Douglas intercepted a clearing attempt and then cashed in on the breakaway opportunity.
 
Senior Ava Fitzgerald (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) put the Lions in front for the first time 24 seconds after the Douglas goal, while junior Cortney Natalicchio (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) later extended the difference to 3-1.
 
St. John Fisher countered with a three-goal run of its own, with all of those goals coming in a span of 1:57.
 
The first half ended with that big swing with the Lions scoring a goal with 9.9 seconds left and another with just 0.9 showing on the clock. Fitzgerald netted the first of those that tied the game at 4-4, while freshman Elizabeth Morrison (Stonington, NJ/Stonington) got the later less than a second before the break. Morrison won the draw control following Fitzgerald's goal and then went directly to the cage where her low shot eluded Cardinal goalie Nicole Hart.
 
TCNJ used the momentum to start the second half tacking on two more goals in the first 5:01 of the period. Sophomore Mia Blackman (Arlington, VA/Field School) scored on a free-position and Natalicchio followed with the second goal 14 seconds later.
 
The teams the alternated goals through the final 20 minutes, with the Cardinals not getting any closer that two goals. Natalicchio, who led all players with five goals, finished the scoring with 3:33 left in the game with that goal being her 50^th of the season.
 
Hart registered seven saves.
 
Freshman Kennedy Frink led St. John Fisher with three points on a goal and two assists.