SAINTS SUFFER THIRD-STRAIGHT HEART-BREAKER
PAXTON, Mass. – Anna Maria senior Chris Summers (Long Valley, N.J.) scored the game-winning goal with 45 ticks on the clock to give the AMCATS men’s lacrosse team a hard-fought 11-10 win over visiting Emmanuel College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action on Tuesday night. With the win the AMCATS move to 3-6 and earn their first GNAC win of the season (1-3), while the Saints drop to 2-6 (0-3 GNAC). This was Emmanuel’s third-straight one-goal loss in GNAC action in less than a week.
PAXTON, Mass. – Anna Maria senior Chris Summers (Long Valley, N.J.) scored the game-winning goal with 45 ticks on the clock to give the AMCATS men's lacrosse team a hard-fought 11-10 win over visiting Emmanuel College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action on Tuesday night. With the win the AMCATS move to 3-6 and earn their first GNAC win of the season (1-3), while the Saints drop to 2-6 (0-3 GNAC). This was Emmanuel's third-straight one-goal loss in GNAC action in less than a week.
The Saints were paced by Jake Jaskolski (St. Clair Shores, Mich.), who had three goals on nine shots on the day. Evan Dolber (Malden, Mass.) and Chris Curtis (Ashland, Mass.) each added a pair and while Jake Pickett (Stratham, N.H.) and defenseman Andrew Lawson (Suffern, N.Y.) each grabbed 6 ground balls.
The two teams combined for eight goals in the first fifteen minutes of play. Emmanuel found the back of the twine first when Picket notched his first goal of the season. Anna Maria responded with a pair; Lucas Stralka (East Greenwich, R.I.) converted a pass from teammate Scott Henry and senior Jason Baker (Billerica, Mass.) added an unassisted goal for a 2-1 AMCAT lead. It was 2-2 just 14 seconds later when Dolber scored for the Saints. After the teams traded goals Anna Maria closed out the half with two unanswered goals from senior Rod Henriques (Saugus, Mass.) and Stralka for a 5-3 advantage.
Emmanuel tightened up their defense in the second stanza, holding the AMCATS to just two shots on goal, while pelting AMCAT rookie netminder Joshua Giarratano (Warwick, R.I.) with seven. The Saints reeled off five straight goals in the quarter to hold an 8-5 lead at intermission. Sophomores Ryan Sabuda (Indianapolis, Ind.), Jaskolski and Dolber scored unassisted tallies while midfielder Jack Ruggiero (Manhasset, N.Y.) dished out two assists to Curtis.
The AMCATS held strong in the third period, outscoring the Saints 2-0 to cut the lead to 8-7 at the end of three frames. Henriques' found Scott Henry in the slot at 11:26 and then added an unassisted marker at 5:58 to complete the scoring.
A man-up goal by AMC's Baker at the 14:39 mark of the fourth period knotted the score at 8-8. Just seconds later Jaskolski would strike for Emmanuel to make it 9-8. Baker and Henry would score back-to-back markers to make it 10-9 Anna Maria with 11:02 to play. Emmanuel would respond one more time, Jaskolski scored at 7:31 off a feed from Curtis to make it 10-10.
The game would remain scoreless over the next six minutes to set up Summers' heroics.
AMCAT goaltender Giarratano made 15 saves in the win while his counterpart Austin Lauzier (Bedford, N.H.) posted five saves in the loss.
Anna Maria is now off for the Easter recess, they will return to action on Tuesday, April 2nd when they travel to Daniel Webster for a GNAC match-up at 4pm. Emmanuel will continue GNAC play on Saturday when they host GNAC foe Rivier University at 3:00 pm.