Purchase, NY (April 20, 2016) – Purchase women's lacrosse scored five of the last six goals in the second period to run past conference rival Old Westbury 17-14 Wednesday night at home.

First-place Purchase improved to 8-1 on the spring, including a perfect 4-0 in the Skyline Conference. The loss drops OW to 4-9 overall and 2-2 in the league.

Old Westbury struck first behind Halle Johnson just two and a half minutes in. Johnson would score again less than a half minute later for a quick 2-0 lead.

But Kelly Turtell (SO/Farmingdale, NY) answered with her 16th goal of the season (26:37) moments after, as the see-saw affair ensued.

Tri-captain Samantha Rich (SR/Providence, RI) would tie the game at two on her 32nd of the season.

OW's Natasha Treuman and Purchase's Zoe Hines (SO/Maplewood, NJ) exchanged goals and a 3-3 tie before the visitors reeled off two straight for a 5-3 advantage. Gabriella DiPierno and Treuman scored the back-to-back goals.

That's when Emma Porter (SO/Homer, NY), who assisted on Hines' 31st goal of the season earlier, joined with Turtell in taking the game over. Porter scored her 25th goal of the spring off of Turtell's first of six assists on the night.

Hines followed Porter and tied it at 5-5 before Madi Smith (SO/Lagrangeville, NY) and OW's Danielle Weir traded goals.

With the game now knotted at 6-6, Purchase recaptured the lead on another score from Rich.

OW's star, Treuman (9:37), answered back tying it at 7-7. That goal was her 40th of the season.

But Turtell fed Rich, Hines and Porter, as Purchase scored three of the next four goals in the game to take a 9-7 lead with about eight minutes to go in the high-scoring first half.  

The rival Panthers then scored back-to-back behind Sara Bey and Treuman to tie the game at 9-all.

Hines would close the half on another athletic play, scoring her 34th of the season to give the Panthers a 10-9 halftime lead.

Less than a minute into the second period, Treuman was clutch again for OW, tying the game at 10-10, but Porter scored another huge goal for the Panthers this spring in giving the team the lead (27:57). Her goal came with the team a man down and made the score 11-10.

But pesky OW answered back on a strike from Courtney Gallagher. Johnson and Weir would score shortly later wrapped around another score from Rich. But the flurry from Westbury gave them a 13-12 lead with 20 minutes to go.

Porter responded again, netting her 28th of the season. Turtell found Porter for the tie.

Knotted at 13, Purchase then got scores from tri-captain Nathalie Lavelanet (SR/South Salem, NY), Hines, Turtell and Porter before Bey recorded OW's final goal at 2:15.

The Panther defense stood tall in the final minutes and sealed another key conference win. Goalie Cynthia Plackis (SO/East Northport, NY), Virginia Redlon (SO/Carmel, NY), Kelsey Straub (JR/White Plains, NY), Daniella Martins (SO/Mahopac, NY), Lexie Stodden (SR/Monroe, NY) and Lavelanet keyed the defense, while teammates Smith, Rich, Maria Papp (SR/White Plains, NY), Hines, Porter and Turtell combined to energize the offense.

By game's end, Hines and Porter had five goals apiece, while Rich added three and Turtell finished with two. Smith and Lavelanet accounted for the other two scores.

OW was paced by Treuman (five goals) and Johnson (three) in the loss.

Purchase returns to action Saturday at home on Alumni Day.