SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A solid defensive showing late by the Skidmore College women's lacrosse team was enough to get by visiting RPI, as the Thoroughbreds picked up a 9-7 win in Liberty League action at Wachenheim Field Tuesday night.
 
Skidmore (7-4, 3-2 Liberty League) moves into a three-way tie for fourth in the league standings. RPI falls to 5-3-1 overall and is tied with Skidmore in the league standings at 3-2.

Natalie LaBeau led the Thoroughreds offensively with a hat-trick, adding an assist for a game-high four points. Emily Hirsch added two goals and an assist. Anna Boogaerts also added a pair of goals. Cas Szwajkowski and Shelby Boland also got into the scoring column with goals. Szwajkowski would lead the team with six draw controls, while Hirsch and Emily Schlicht each caused three turnovers.
 
Caroline Kenlon had a solid showing in net, picking up the win after a 10-save performance. She held RPI without a goal in five free-position chances.
 
It was a balanced scoring effort for RPI in the contest, as four players tallied at least a goal and assist. Abbey Salvon would lead the Engineers with two goals and one assist. Aleena Milinski would tally 11 saves in the loss.

It took exactly one minute for Skidmore to get on the board in the game, as LaBeau took the first shot she saw past Milinski. RPI would answer right off the draw, as Salvon got the Engineers on the board. The Thoroughbreds would then take the advantage with three straight goals to post a 4-1 lead. Szwajkowski and Boland would score five minutes apart, with Hirsch punctuating the run with her first of two free position goals on the game.
 
RPI would answer with two straight goals, the second with 2:45 left in the period, as Skidmore held a 4-3 lead. With just under 1:30 to go in the half, an RPI turnover led to a Skidmore chance in transition, as LaBeau picked up the ground ball, sprinting down the center of the field to find Boogearts with the goal at 1:26. Skidmore would take a 5-3 lead into the half.
 
Skidmore came out of halftime firing, scoring three straight goals in a span of 2:19 to take its largest lead of the game at 8-3. RPI would chip away at the Skidmore lead, going on a 3-0 run of its own to trail by just two, at 8-6. The Engineers would get the chance to cut it to one on a free-position attempt with 9:37 to go. The shot went wide, but RPI would get the ball back behind the net. A few seconds later, Teyana Daley would cause a crucial turnover as Skidmore went the other way, eventually scoring two minutes later on a LaBeau tally, upping its lead to 9-6. RPI would score at the 3:45 mark as Skidmore held a 9-7 lead, but were unable to get any closer, as the Thoroughbred defense kept RPI off the board despite a pair of free-position opportunities.
 
Skidmore outshot RPI by a 27-24 margin and won 12 draws, compared to RPI's six. Both teams went 19-for-23 in clear chances. RPI went 0-for-5 in free position shots, while Skidmore converted on 3-of-7 shots.
Skidmore will hit the road in its next contest, traveling to nearby Union for another league matchup, this Saturday at 2 p.m.