SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Behind another record-setting performance by senior attack Cas Szwajkowski, the Skidmore College women's lacrosse team was able to stage a second-half rally, defeating Vassar by a 17-13 score in Liberty League action at Wachenheim Field Wednesday afternoon.
 
Skidmore improves to 9-3 overall and 6-1 in league contests, winning its sixth league game in a row. Vassar falls to 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league contests.
 
For the second time this season, Szwajkowski chopped down two Skidmore records. With her fifth goal of the game, scored at the 17:18 mark of the second half, the senior tallied her 240^th career point, passing the original mark of 239, set by Tyler Phillips '17. She wasn't done by a long shot, tallying four more to tie the single-game goals record with nine. She also scored nine goals, setting the all-time goals record in the process against RIT on March 23 and she shares the record with Lloyd Falconer in 1993 and Lindsay Stavola in 2011. She's the first player in program history to register two nine-goal games. She finished the game with 244 career points, via 224 goals and 20 assists.
 
The nine goals were needed, as Skidmore fell into an early hole against a hungry Vassar team. Down five goals (9-4) in the second half, the Thoroughbred offense woke up, thanks to a few free position opportunities. Natalie LaBeau got the party started, scoring a free-position goal at the 23:14 mark to bring the deficit to 9-5. After Kathleen Hanna won the ensuing draw, Anna Boogaerts scored on the second draw control, bringing the deficit to 9-6. Emily Hirsch won the next draw, and Szwajkowski immediately scored to cap a 3-0 run.
 
Vassar broke the run with an Alessandra Fable goal at the 19:10 mark, but Skidmore scored twice in 34 seconds, including the record-setting goal by Szwajkowski, bringing the deficit to one (10-9). The Brewers scored again, taking a two-goal, 11-9 lead, but it sowed the seeds for a game-turning Skidmore run.
 
Off a Vassar turnover, Szwajkowski scored her sixth of the game, as Skidmore trailed 11-10 at the 15:26 mark. The Thoroughbreds tied the game at 11 over a minute later, as Grace Connerty converted on a free position opportunity. It would take just 32 seconds for the Thoroughbreds to take the lead, as Szwajkowski tallied her seventh of the game. Skidmore tacked on two more, as Szwajkowski and Amanda Orvis scored to cap a 5-0 run, turning a 11-9 deficit into a 14-11 lead in a little over four minutes.
 
Vassar and Skidmore traded four goals over the next six minutes, which included Szwajkowski's ninth, but the Thoroughbreds put the game to bed with late goals by Orvis and Lilla Seymour.
 
Szwajkowski added eight draw controls to go along with her nine goals on 13 shots. Orvis added three goals and four ground balls. Seymour scored twice and added an assist for three points. Connerty, Boogaerts, and LaBeau also tallied goals. Shelby Boland added an assist. Hirsch was crucial to Skidmore's win, finishing with an impressive 14 draw controls. Gianna Muscari finished with three caused turnovers on the defensive end, while Amanda Cagnassola caused two turnovers and added five ground balls. Caroline Kenlon made six saves in the winning effort.
 
Caeli Porette and Alessandra Fable each tallied four goals to lead the Brewers. Melanie Silverman tallied six points on a goal and five assists. Jackie Molloy flummoxed the Skidmore offense in the first half with 10 saves. She would finish with 13 in the losing effort.
 
Skidmore outshot Vassar by a 40-26 margin, including a 21-8 edge in the second half. Skidmore also won an impressive 19 of 20 draws in the second half, finishing with a 26-5 edge. The Brewers were 19-of-26 on clear attempts, while the Thoroughbreds finished 11-of-13.
 
Skidmore will take a brief break from Liberty League action, hosting Williams on Sunday from Wachenheim Field in a 1 p.m. start.