JWU SLIDES PAST MEN'S LACROSSE, 11-10

BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore middie Ben Farrell (Dowingtown, Pa.) scored five goals including the game-deciding tally to power Johnson & Wales University past Emmanuel College, 11-10, Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's lacrosse action at Roberto Clemente Field. The Wildcats improve to 9-3 overall and 3-0 in GNAC play while the loss drops the Saints to 3-7 and 1-2.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter behind goals from juniors Sam Sears (Baltimore, Md.) and Max Stone (Burlington, Conn.) and the score would hold heading into the second quarter.

Emmanuel got on the board on senior Sean Reilly's (Deer Park, N.Y.) sixth goal of the year to make it 2-1 before Farrell scored his first goal of the afternoon to bump the JWU lead to 3-1. A man-up score by EC junior Charlie Moran (Maitland, Fla.) cut the deficit to one at 3-2 before Stone returned the margin to two goals with his second score of the game and 40^th of the season to make it a 4-2 game with 6:42 remaining in the half. Over the final three minutes of the stanza, the Saints got goals from senior Donnie Litzelman (Stratham, N.H.) and Moran to knot the score at 4-4 before halftime.

The Saints owned a 22-15 advantage in shots at the break and also won six of the 10 face offs in the half.

Both teams would hold leads in the third quarter that saw each squad score four goals to account for an 8-8 score heading into the fourth quarter. Emmanuel scored just 30 seconds into the quarter to go up 5-4 on sophomore Sam Ward's (Hampstead, N.H.) fourth goal of the year. Farrell evened the score at 5-all before EC freshman Nicholas Bontempo (Water Mill, N.Y.) made it 6-5 with just his second collegiate tally. Back-to-back goals by JWU junior Eric Russo (West Grove, Pa.) gave the visitors a 7-6 lead before Farrell found the back of the net for his third goal of the game to make it 8-6. EC closed the quarter strong with two goals over the final 85 second as Moran and junior Ben Hartig-Orr (Reading, Vt.) helped the Saints tied the score at 8-8.

Following nearly six minutes of scoreless play to open the fourth, Johnson & Wales took the lead for good on a goal by sophomore Erik Lindaas (Milford, Mass.) with 9:08 to play. Farrell added to the lead to make it 10-8 with 3:15 to play before the Saints made things interesting in the final minute of regulation. Moran scored with 48 tics left to cut the lead to 10-9 but Farrell converted an empty net score with 17 seconds to play to make it 11-9. Moran scored his fifth goal of the game with 3.9 seconds to play to make it a one-goal game and on the final face the Saint were able to win the draw and get a last second heave towards the Wildcats goal but the shot was turned away and Johnson & Wales held on for the 11-10 win.

JWU freshman goalie Bradley Morris (Bayport, N.Y.) made 10 saves to improve t0 8-2 on the year in the pipes while Emmanuel goalie Austin Rosenberg (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) turned away six shots in defeat.

Prior to the start of the contest, the Saints recognized the five senior members from the program honoring Litzelman, Reilly, Chris Baglivi (Mattituck, N.Y.), Brendan Gallagher (Solon, Ohio) and Tony Cibelli (Westboro, Mass.).

Emmanuel returns to action on Tuesday, April 11 when they head to Anna Maria College for a 5:00 PM GNAC affair. The Wildcats are back the same day when they travel to Newton, Mass. to face Lasell College at 4:00 PM in GNAC play.