BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's lacrosse team came roaring back from a halftime deficit to cut Central Connecticut State's lead to just one goal on LIU Field Friday afternoon, but the Blue Devils hung on, scoring three goals in the final minutes of the game to clinch the victory, 12-8. With the loss, LIU moves to 3-8 on the season, and 0-2 in Northeast Conference action.
 
CCSU would open the scoring in the game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first seven minutes of play. LIU got on the board in the 22^nd minute, when junior Dale Cosgrave found sophomore Abby Fox for the first Blackbird goal of the day, 3-1. CCSU would add two more goals before LIU scored again, this time, when freshman Amanda Masullo found classmate Rachel Masullo in front of the net to make it 5-2. In the last ten minutes of the first half, the Blue Devils would add some distance to the lead, scoring three more goals, and taking the 8-2 advantage at the halftime break.
 
In the second half, however, the Blackbirds came soaring out, scoring four straight goals to squelch CCSU's momentum. Cosgrave would connect with a cutting Bianca Santucci just 20 seconds into the second period, and the sophomore would score to give the Blackbirds a boost. Less than two minutes later, senior Carlie Robinson scored an unassisted goal, and just 15 seconds after that, senior Sierra O'Connor would score off a pass from Rachel Masullo, cutting the lead to 8-5. CCSU would call a time out, but the Blue Devils couldn't stop the scoring spree. A minute after the break, Santucci and Cosgrave would connect again, and the Blackbirds had closed the gap to 8-6.
 
CCUS would score a goal at the 24-minute mark to help sotp the bleeding, but LIU wasn't done yet. Less than 40 seconds later, Amanda Masullo would score an unassisted goal on a free position shot, and five minutes later, Rachel Masullo would score an unassisted goal in a man up situation, and the Blackbirds were down by one, 9-8 with 18 minutes to play.
 
The battle continued, but the Blue Devils were able to slow the scoring down from there. CCSU would give themselves some breathing room with a goal scored with 13 minutes left in the game, but the Blackbirds would continue to threaten. CCSU would add a goal with seven minutes left to widen the gap to three, 11-8, and after running the shot clock down in the final two minutes, the visiting team would score as the clock expired, taking the 12-8 lead. Despite forcing turnovers late in the game, LIU couldn't regain offensive control of the ball, and CCSU burned out the rest of the clock, taking the win, 12-8, and notching their first NEC win of the year.
 
Junior Dale Cosgrave had three assists in the game, while junior Virginia Gibbons was a force in the net in the second half, making eight saves to keep the Blackbirds in the game until the very end. Bianca Santucci and Rachel Masullo had two goals apiece to lead LIU in the loss.
 
Up next, the Blackbirds host Bryant on LIU Field, Sunday, April 15 at 11 a.m.