Syracuse, N.Y. – Alyssa Gillespie scored the eventual game-winning goal with just under six minutes left to lead 11th-ranked and third-seeded Adelphi University to a 9-8 victory over the third-ranked and top-seeded Le Moyne College women's lacrosse team in the Northeast-10 Conference Championships semifinals on Thursday afternoon at Ted Grant Field.
 
Le Moyne (13-1) now awaits word on a possible NCAA Championships berth. The NCAA will announce the 12-team field on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. In the latest NCAA East Region rankings released on Wednesday, the Dolphins were second as three teams from the region will be selected to the field.

The Dolphins scored the first goal of the game just under two minutes into the contest as senior midfielder Sydney Meagher (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) finished off a pass from senior midfielder Lauren Ferris (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) for her 23rd goal of the season.

Adelphi answered back just over two minutes later as Gianna Bifulco scored her 14th goal of the year off a feed from Gillespie.

Le Moyne countered with the next two goals. Freshman midfielder Sarah Hutchings (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus) put the Dolphins back in front by converting a free-position shot at the 18:13 mark for her 13th goal of the campaign. Junior attacker Jessica Meneilly (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) followed at the 16:25 mark with a free-position goal of her own.

Kole Pollock, the reigning IWLCA Player of the Year, got the Panthers back within one with an extra-player goal with 7:33 remaining.

The Dolphins responded with two goals in 1:13 to take their largest lead of the game. Junior midfielder Adrianna Nojaim (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) netted the team's third straight free-position goal with 6:26 left for her 25th tally of the season. Senior attacker Erin McMullen (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) followed with her team-best 41st goal of the year at the 5:13 mark after collecting a pass from Nojaim.

Bifulco capped the half's scoring with 4:06 left to get the Panthers within 5-3.

The Dolphins scored on their first possession of the second half to push their lead back to three. Following a yellow card on the Adelphi bench, Meneilly scored in the extra-player situation just 37 seconds into the half after taking a feed from Ferris.

Adelphi answered with four straight goals to take the lead. Christina McCabe started the run at the 25:36 mark with her 31st goal of the year. Pollock got the Panthers within a goal with her 31st of the season on a free-position shot with 21:50 to play. Kristina Kallansrude took advantage of a free-position attempt to knot the score at six with 19:04 remaining. Following seven and one-half minutes of scoreless play, Molly Fetherston gave Adelphi the lead with her fifth goal of the year off a pass from Christina Ferrara.

Meneilly evened the score at seven apiece with 9:24 remaining on a free-position shot from the left side.

Kerrin Heuser gave the Panthers the lead for good with her 13th goal of the year with 6:11 left. Gillespie followed 29 seconds with her eighth goal of the season off a pass from Ferrara.

Meneilly scored from in front of the net with 4:14 left for her 39th goal of the year after taking a pass from graduate student attacker Sidney Hall (Adams Center, N.Y./South Jefferson) to get the Dolphins back within one.

Le Moyne won the ensuing draw, but failed to get a shot off before committing a charge with 2:51 left. Bifulco tried to give the Panthers another two-goal lead with 2:10 to play, but had her shot saved and the Dolphins gained possession. This time, the Dolphins were able to get off three shots, but the first was saved with 1:29 left, the second went wide right with 1:02 remaining and the third was blocked before it could get to the cage with 42 seconds to go and the ball was scooped up by the Panthers. Adelphi was then able to run the remaining time off the clock.

Sophomore goalkeeper Paige Crandall (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) tallied seven saves in suffering her first career loss. Emma Lemanski registered eight saves, including six in the second half, to improve to 3-5 in her career against the Dolphins. Fifth-year defender Olivia McEntee (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia) finished the game with three caused turnovers, the second of which made her just the third Dolphin in the program's history to cause 100 turnovers.