BROOKLYN, N.Y. – In a fitting end to their LIU Brooklyn women's lacrosse careers, seniors Jenn Peters, Tori Shinkowitz and Mary McQueen were the leading scorers for the Blackbirds in a 15-14 win over Saint Francis University on LIU Field Sunday afternoon. Peters finished the game with five goals and an assist, while McQueen had two goals and two assists, and Shinkowitz had a hat trick, scoring three goals.
 
Prior to the game, the Blackbirds honored the graduating senior class of Jenna Lasaponara, Jillian May, McQueen, Peters, Kayla Riley, Mackenzie Rolland and Shinkowitz.  
 
The ceremony apparently set the tone, as the senior class came out fighting Sunday. After SFU won the first draw control of the game, Shinkowitz had her first caused turnover of the contest, scooping the ground ball and getting it downfield. 65 seconds into the game, the Blackbirds capitalized on her effort, as McQueen would score an unassisted goal to put LIU on the board, 1-0.
 
Then it was Peters' turn to pester the Red Flash, as she would score three straight goals over two minutes, to widen the Blackbird lead to 4-0. The visiting team would final get on the board nine minute in with a single goal, but sophomore Rorie Crum and Shinkowitz scored two goals in 30 seconds to widen the gap to 6-1.
 
Peters would score again with 15 minutes left in the half, and assist on sophomore Candice Mosal's goal 45 seconds later, putting the Blackbirds up. 8-2. Saint Francis would score the next three goals, but Shinkowitz added one more goal before the half, and LIU led, 9-5 at the break.
 
The second half started on another strong note from an LIU senior. After freshman Tori Gray won the first draw control, senior Kayla Riley took the ball down the field and scored just 23 seconds into the half to make it 10-5. Junior Sierra O'Connor would keep the lead at five goals after SFU scored, by scoring a goal of her own at 25:38, on a man-up goal and off a pass from McQueen, 11-6.
 
Saint Francis started to mount a comeback shortly afterwards. The visiting team would score the next five straight goals to tie the game up, 11-11. But Shinkowitz put the Blackbirds back on top with 19:31 left to play, with her third goal of the game. McQueen scored seven minutes later to make it 13-11. Though the Red Flash would score three more goals before the clock wound down, Peters and May both scored for LIU in the final six minutes of play, to give the Blackbirds the 15-14 victory.
 
Sophomore Virginia Gibbons had 14 saves in the win, facing 43 shots over the 60 minute period.
 
The game marks the end of the 2017 season for the Blackbirds. The win was the first Northeast Conference victory for LIU this year, who finish the year 3-12 overall, and 1-6 in the NEC.