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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Nazareth's women's lacrosse team fell to visiting Ithaca 11-6 in the Empire 8 semifinals on Saturday. Senior Brooke Sullivan and freshman Haley DeVona each scored twice for the Golden Flyers. DeVona leads the team with 55 points on 37 goals and 18 assists. Sullivan is third with 47 points on 32 goals and 15 assists.

Nazareth, the top-seed in the women's tournament, falls to 12-4 overall after the loss. Fourth-seeded Ithaca improves to 11-7 overall with the victory. The Bombers advance to play the winner of the St. John Fisher vs. Stevens semifinal, which is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, in the championship game on Sunday. The championship is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Nazareth's turf field.

To build its overwhelming lead, Ithaca drew twice as many free position opportunities, and the Bombers converted three of four chances in each half. The Golden Flyers also suffered a devastating loss in the first half when sophomore Kate Rothrock left the game with an injury. Rothrock is ranked second on the team in scoring with 50 points on 24 goals and 26 assists. After Ithaca took the 1-0 lead on an early free position shot, Rothrock scored on her only shot of the game to temporarily tie the score. DeVona earned the assist on the goal.

About three minutes after Rothrock's goal, Ithaca's Morgan Cadwell drove through the Golden Flyers' defense to reclaim the Bombers' lead. Eighty-six seconds later, Natalie Lang scored when the Nazareth defender slipped. Lang ended up with an uncontested lane to the goal. Ally Runyon stretched Ithaca's lead to 4-1 with about 14 minutes to play in the first half.

Facing the three-goal deficit, junior Carly Gates and Sullivan each scored on drives toward the Ithaca net. The goals were separated by only 2:25. The Golden Flyers had a chance to tie the score when Nazareth's attack forced a turnover deep in the Bombers' zone. The ensuing shot, however, was off the mark.

With three goals in the final 4:48 of the half, Ithaca stretched its lead to 7-3 at the break.

In the first 10:48 of the second half, the Golden Flyers scored two of the first three goals to trim its deficit to 8-5. Sullivan converted a free position shot after Ithaca's goalie, Emily Ross, was whistled for a foul. DeVona scored Nazareth's second goal of the period after splitting a pair of Bombers' defenders. Moments before DeVona's goal, Sullivan had a shot find the inside of the right post. Ithaca was whistled for a foul, however, and the goal did not count. Nazareth was awarded a free position chance that Ross saved.

As Nazareth tried to rally, Runyon converted two free position chances to extend Ithaca's lead to 10-5. Runyon entered the game with a team-high 63 points on 51 goals and 12 assists. As the Golden Flyers pressured the Bombers, Marion added her second goal of the game with 4:56 to play to stretch Ithaca's lead to six goals. DeVona scored in the final minute for the five-goal margin.

The Bombers finished with advantages in total shots (27-20), ground balls (26-16, and draw controls (10-9).

Senior Ashley Kirch made 10 saves for the Golden Flyers in the loss. Ross finished with seven saves for the victory.