ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College was edged 2-1 by visiting Nazareth, the Empire 8 Conference leaders, this afternoon. The deciding goal of the E8 matinee came with just 2:06 remaining via an own goal.

The squads traded goals early in the second half. In the 60th minute, defender Samantha Schmidt, a graduate student, (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) (above) put the Gators on the board with a free kick that bounced past Nazareth freshman goalkeeper Annika Monfort. Just 2:04 later, Nazareth (6-5-3/5-0-0 E8) knotted the contest when forward Kristen Prohaska, a graduate student, converted a penalty kick.

Freshman goalkeeper Kierstin Lynch (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) made eight saves, while Monfort stopped three RSC shots.

The Golden Flyers, atop the conference standings with 15 points, held a 14-9 advantage on shots, while each team took three corner kicks on a windy afternoon.

Looking ahead, both squads have E8 games on Wednesday night. Sage (5-7-2/1-3-1 E8) plays at Hartwick at 6:00 pm. Meanwhile, Nazareth hosts St. John Fisher at 6:00 pm. 

Gator-Aid:  This afternoon was the inaugural "GatorAid" game. The women's soccer program used today's contest as a fundraiser to support area families and our community affected by cancer, as well as the American Cancer Society.

#SageNation