CLEARWATER, Fla.--Junior Lexi Perticone (Vero Beach, Fla.) scored three goals to lead the ninth ranked Colby College women's lacrosse team to an 8-7 victory against Connecticut College in a NESCAC game played in Clearwater, Fla. today.

The Mules improved their record to 4-1 (3-1 NESCAC) with their third straight win, while the Camels fell to 3-4 with a 0-3 mark in conference play.

Sophomore Kendall Smith (Bloomfield, N.J.) chipped in with two scores for the winning side.  Maddie Hatch (Wilbraham, Mass.) had three draw controls for Colby.

Connecticut College junior Tina Balzotti (pictured by Anika Goodhue, Duxbury, Mass.) had three goals and three ground balls to lead the Camels on offense in the nail-biter. Senior Erin Moran (Lincoln, N.H.) had two goals, three ground balls and a caused turnover for the Camels. Sophomore Madison Barker (Boston, Mass.) posted a game-best eight draw controls with two ground balls and a caused turnover.

Sophomore Meg Raskin (Westwood, Mass.) made seven saves in the cage.

Connecticut College senior Cassidy Lynch (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) scored with 13:37 remaining in the opening half to pull the Camels to within 4-3 of the Mules. But Colby scored the final two goals of the half to open up a three goal lead at the break. Sophomore Sasha Fritts (Greenwich, Conn.) scored with 9:59 to go before Bridget Harwood (Scarsdale, N.Y.) closed out the first half scoring with 7:56 remaining and Colby carried a 6-3 lead into the half.

Perticone scored 5:14 into the second stanza to cap the 3-0 run, putting the Mules on top 7-3. But the Camels stormed back with 3-0 run of their own. Moran scored a pair of goals 1:40 apart to make it a 7-5 game before Balzotti pulled the Camels to within one with 9:08 remaining and suddenly it was a 7-6 battle.

Perticone responded though, putting in her third goal of the day with 1:23 remaining to provide Colby with a key insurance goal, making it an 8-6 contest.  Hannah Donegan (Great Falls, Va.) assisted Balzotti on her third goal with 12 seconds left but the Camels could not get any closer and Colby was able to hang on for the 8-7 win.