PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's lacrosse (4-2) delivered a thrilling 12-11 overtime victory against No. 16 Stony Brook (3-2) on Wednesday afternoon in Piscataway. Battling 40-mile-per-hour wind gusts and pouring rain, junior
Lily Dixon found sophomore
Payton Tini for the game winner in second overtime to secure the Scarlet Knights' first win over a ranked opponent this season.
With the ball to start the second overtime period, RU took its time to set up the game-winning play. With 2:21 left, Dixon found Tini in the middle of the crease, who spun past a defender and drilled a shot past goalkeeper Natalia Altebrando for the golden goal.
"It just came down to that last play and I just have so much trust in my teammates," Dixon said. "She was able to get open and I was able to hit her. I knew she was going to finish it."
The victory was RU's second over the Seawolves in three seasons dating back to 2023, when Rutgers defeated then-No. 6 Stony Brook, 12-7, for the program's highest-ranked win in regular season action. The victory also moved the Scarlet Knights to 3-0 at SHI Stadium in 2025.
RU held its lead over the Seawolves for the majority of the game and won the 50-50 battle, 16-11, thanks to junior
Katie Buck's 10 draw controls. Graduate goalkeeper
Lexie Coldiron was outstanding in cage, stopping a career-high 19 shots for her fourth win of the season.
"We were very excited for this battle," said head coach
Melissa Lehman. "After our last game [with Yale], we felt really confident playing with ranked teams. This team fought from start to finish and played together really well. We also played fast, which I love to see."
Dixon and senior
Alexa Corbin both produced five points, with Corbin finishing with a team-high four assists. Dixon and redshirt freshman
Samantha Swanovich each added a hat trick, while Tini pitched in two goals on the afternoon. Junior
Ava Chiarella and freshman
Delainey Sutley both had two points.
Senior
Madison Karpe scooped up a game-high four ground balls, and Chiarella forced two turnovers to help pace the defense.
Stony Brook scored the first goal of the afternoon for a quick 1-0 lead two minutes into the game. The Scarlet Knights responded with three consecutive goals, including back-to-back finishes from Swanovich and an unassisted goal by Corbin. Corbin's score made it 3-1 RU with 8:28 left in the quarter. Dixon then added two goals, including one with five second left in the period to provide Rutgers with a 5-2 advantage through 15 minutes of action.
The back-and-forth play continued in the second, as the Seawolves used a 5-1 scoring run to regain its lead at 7-6 with 7:39 left before the midpoint. Rutgers stopped the run thanks to Dixon and Tini, who scored on back-to-back attempts. Tini's unassisted goal provide the Scarlet Knights with an 8-7 lead at halftime, as Coldiron registered 12 saves heading into the locker room.
Scoring was at a premium in the third quarter, with only three goals scored. Corbin found freshman
Hilary Elsner four minutes into the period, while Swanovich's third of the day made it 10-8 after three.
Rookie
Delainey Sutley put Rutgers up two, 11-9, with 10:56 left in regulation before Stony Brook fought back into the contest. Down 11-10 with 45 seconds remaining, Casey Colbert found Kylie Budke to force overtime.
Both teams traded possessions in the first overtime period, but a yellow card from the Seawolves gave the Scarlet Knights a player-up opportunity in second overtime. The restart allowed Rutgers to settle in for the game-winning play from Dixon and Tini.
"This win was huge," Lehman said. "We're a young team, and this is the first of many opportunities to get a win against a ranked team. It gives us a lot of confidence. Now it's on to the next game. We just have to keep building."
Up Next
Rutgers faces Hofstra on Saturday in Hempstead, New York. First draw is set for noon and will stream on Flo College.
