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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
HAMILTON, MATTHEW SAVAGE POWER M-LACROSSE
Hamilton has career-high seven goals, Warriors survive 11 man-down situations
NEWTON CENTER, Mass. – Senior midfielder Pete Hamilton (Rutland, VT) had a career-high seven goals and junior attack Matthew Savage (Southington) contributed four goals and two assists as men’s lacrosse downed Mount Ida College, 19-9, in the first meeting between the programs Tuesday.
Eastern (8-5) equaled its win total of a year ago by winning its eighth match in the last nine following an 0-4 start. Mount Ida (8-5), a four-time defending North Atlantic Conference (NAC) champion, had won eight of its previous nine entering the match following an 0-3 start.
The Warriors held Mount Ida to just one goal in the first period, led 7-1 early in the second period and by 9-4 at halftime. The top four scorers this season for Mount Ida – combining for 83 goals coming into the match -- managed a total of only five against the Warriors. Only John Lightbown, the MVP of last year’s NAC playoffs, had more than one among those four top scorers.
For Eastern, the goal total was the highest this year, with 11 different players chipping in at least one goal or one assist.
Freshman faceoff man Eric Vasil (Southington) won nine of 11 faceoffs to lead Eastern to a 19-11 advantage in that category. Mount Ida outshot Eastern 44-42, but Eastern junior goalie Kyle Savage (Southington) came through with a season-high 16 saves
and gave up only six goals before being spelled by freshman Stephen Goomrigian (Norwalk) over the final ten minutes.
Mount Ida’s advantage in shots was partly due to 11 extra-man opportunies that was the result of 11 Eastern penalties, but the Warriors’ man-down unit did not allow a single goal. At one point, the Warriors were whistled for eight consecutive penalties.
Vasil, junior midfielder DJ Simmons (Mystic) and defensemen Jon Snedeker (Southington) and Steve Lane (Groton) all had four ground balls.
Eastern hosts No. 17 nationally-ranked Keene State College Saturday at 1 p.m. in a battle of unbeaten Little East Conference teams. The teams have split the last four conference regular-season titles.
Eastern Conn. 19, Mount Ida College 9
Eastern Conn. (8-5) 6 3 4 6 -- 19
Mt. Ida (8-5) 1 3 1 4 -- 9
Scoring: E-Pete Hamilton 7, Tyler Prescott 2, DJ Simmons 2, Maximi Fantl 2, Matthew Savage 2, Jon Snedeker, Lee Mascolo, Brian Fechtmann, Zach Malouf; M- Brett Conley 3; Dan Harrington 3; John Lightbown; Matt Savage; Paul Battipaglia. Assists: E-M. Savage 4, Simmons 3, Steve Lane, Brendan Hoppey, Fantl, Hamilton, Malouf ; M-Conley 2; Anthony DiMarsico; Luke Philip Wilson, Leo Shidler.
Shots: E-42; M-44. Saves: E-Kyle Savage 16 (6 goals allowed, 50:10), Stephen Goomrigian 2 (3, 9:50),
M-Matt Vernik 15.
