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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
M-LACROSSE HOLDS ON FOR 10-9 WIN OVER BABSON
Warriors build four-goal lead in first half and stave off Beavers for third straight
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Men’s lacrosse team built a four-goal lead late in the first half and hung on to win its third straight match, a 10-9 victory over Babson College Wednesday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.
Babson (0-7) scored an extra-man goal to pull to within 9-8 with 18 seconds gone in the fourth period but Eastern senior attack Tyler Prescott’s (Norwalk) only goal of the match with ten minutes left gave Eastern (3-4) a two-goal cushion. Neither team was able to score again until the Beavers scored with five seconds left to cut the Eastern lead to a single goal for the third time in the match. Eastern freshman faceoff man Eric Vasil (Southington) sealed the victory by winning his tenth faceoff in 15 tries as time ran out.
At left: Mike Silvestrini
The victory is the fifth without a loss for Eastern over Babson at home and improves the Warriors’ all-time record at Nevers Field to 79-6. Eastern’s three wins during its streak have come by a combined total of seven goals and its last five decisions have come by a combined total of ten goals.
Eastern scoring leader Matthew Savage (Southington) connected for four of Eastern’s goals. Three of his goals came in the first half, but his second-half strike was a key one when he picked up a loose ball and scored midway through the third period to stop a run of two straight Babson goals in a two-minute span and give the Warriors an 8-6 lead.
Junior defensemen Mike Silvestrini (Guilford) and Steve Lane (Groton) combined for 13 of Eastern’s game total of 53 ground balls. Silvestrini led the Warriors with seven, Lane adding six and Vasil five.
Junior attack E.J. Peterson contributed to six of Babson’s nine goals by scoring five and assisting on one. Peterson scored his team’s first five goals, including one on a man-up situation and one when the Beavers were a man down.
Eastern junior goalie Kyle Savage (Southington) made ten saves while Babson freshman goalie Mike Saucier had 17 saves and ten ground balls.
Eastern was successful on all 12 of its clears in the first half and failed on only two of 27 in the match.
Eastern opens its Little East Conference regular season Saturday against the University of Southern Maine at 4:30 p.m.. at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine.
Eastern Conn. 10, Babson College 9
Babson College (0-7) 1 3 3 2 -- 9
Eastern Conn. (3-4) 3 3 3 1 -- 10
Goals: B-E.J. Peterson 5, Jason Wellemeyer 2, Matt Harrington, Andrew Packer; E-Matthew Savage 4, DJ Simmons 2, Jeremy Cogliano, Tyler Prescott, Maxim Fantl, Pete Hamilton
Assists: B-Bryan Wilbur, Peterson, Harrington; E-Brendan Hoppey, Prescott, Simmons, Hamilton.
Shots: B-33, E-45; Saves: B-Mike Saucier 17, E-Kyle Savage 10.
