HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Visiting Russell Sage College scored twice in the final 3:39 to defeat Houghton 3-2 in Saturday's first round of the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament. The Gators (9-4-4), seeded fifth, will play at top-seeded Nazareth in the Semifinals on Wednesday, November 1.
Sophomore forward Gianna Viscusi (Duanesburg, NY/Schalmont) scored with three seconds left to complete the comeback and send RSC back into the Semis for the second-consecutive year.
With its season on the line down a goal, the Gators tilted the pitch in their comeback attempt. RSC took the final eight shots of the playoff contest, part of out-shooting the fourth-seeded Highlanders 16-5 in the second half and 27-12 on the night.
Senior forward Kennedy Jones (Albany, NY/Albany), the leading scorer in the conference with 20 points, registered her second goal of the night to tie it with 3:39 remaining. Viscusi, who assisted on the first RSC goal, delivered the game-winner 216 seconds later via a feed from senior forward Marissa Key (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) to put the Gators on top.
After Jones opened the scoring 7:27 in, Houghton freshman forward Karryne Mims answered just 1:08 later to tie.
The rookie, who tops the E8 with nine goals scored, added her second of the game in the 18th minute to put the Highlanders (7-9-1) ahead.
Junior goalkeeper Alliah Fluent did what she could to stem the RSC offense from there, making 10 saves in defeat.
Notes: RSC is making its fourth appearance in the E8 Championship Tournament...The Gators, the 2020-21 E8 Tournament Champions, have reached the semifinals in each of their appearances...More than 20 players and four all-league selections: Jones, sophomore defender Courtney Bush (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), Key, and junior defender Amelia Geesler (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem Central), returned this fall…The Gators entered the postseason with the top offense (1.875 goals per-game) and defense (0.625 goals-against average) in the E8...RSC, the lone conference school with more than goal as its scoring margin at 1.25, tallied a league-best nine shutouts in the regular season...A Gator has earned weekly E8 awards five times this autumn…Jones was selected the E8 Player of the Week for the period ending Monday, September 4…The second-team All-E8 pick registered two goals and an assist to help RSC win its home opener vs. Nichols on September 2…She goes into the semifinal round leading the conference in scoring with 20 points on eight goals and four assists…Bush was chosen the E8 Defensive Player of the Week on two occasions, September 10 and September 25, this fall…She spearheads an RSC defense that has registered Conference-bests in goals-against average (0.706) and clean sheets (nine) this fall…Sophomore defender Olivia Badalucco (Rotterdam Junction, NY/Schalmont) took home E8 Player of the Week honors on September 18…She scored twice in an 8-0 shutout of visiting SUNY Poly on September 13…The output was the most for the Gators in a single-game since 2017...Freshman goalkeeper Olivia Horan (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) (7-3-4) was named the E8 Defensive Player of the Week on October 2…The rookie closed the regular season atop the Conference with an 0.640 goals-against average and seven shutouts…Viscusi is third on the circuit with 16 points and seven goals.
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