LaROCHE NETS 2OT WINNER TO LIFT SAINT JOSEPH’S PAST EMMANUEL, 12-11

THE BASICS 

Score:             
Saint Joseph's College (ME), 12; Emmanuel College, 11 (2OT)
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (3-10, 3-3 GNAC)
Saint Joseph's College Monks (11-2, 6-0 GNAC)
Location:         
Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date:               
Saturday, April 13, 2019

THE LEAD:  Freshman attack Zac LaRoche (Penacook, N.H.) netted the game-winning goal in double-overtime to send the Saint Joseph's College (ME) men's lacrosse team home with a 12-11 victory over host Emmanuel College on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at Roberto Clemente Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• Following a scoreless first overtime session, the Monks won the opening faceoff in the second extra frame and used the clock for over a minute before sophomore Zack Hamilton (Pepperell, Mass.) found LaRoche cutting from the right side of the net. The rookie found the back of the net for just his third goal of the season to break an 11-11 tie to give the Monks the 12-11 win to remain unbeaten in GNAC play.
• The Monks led 11-9 early in the fourth quarter as Hamilton scored an unassisted marker just 53 seconds into the frame to make it a two-goal game before the Saints battled to force the extra frame. EC freshman Colin Dickinson (Barre, Vt.) made it a one goal at 11-10 with 10:32 to play before senior Matt Katon (East Falmouth, Mass.) sent the game to overtime with his fourth goal of the afternoon coming with just 12 seconds left in regulation.
• The Saints had a chance to win it in regulation as the Monks won the ensuing faceoff after Katon's score and took the ball deep into their zone to try and kill the clock but Katon was able to force a turnover with three seconds left to play and get a shot off just before the final buzzer that was saved by sophomore goalie Logan Skinner (Irving, Texas) to force the overtime.
• Emmanuel controlled the action early on, scoring the game's first two goals and maintain the two-goal cushion into the second quarter up 4-2 after one.
• A goal by EC junior Alex Flanagan (Westford, Mass.) with 10:42 to play in the first half game the Saints their largest lead of the afternoon at 6-3 before Saint Joseph's closed the quarter on a 4-1 flurry to tie the game at 7-7 heading into halftime.
• Emmanuel senior Ben Hartig-Orr (Reading, Vt.) opened the third stanza with back-to-back goals to help EC regain a two-goal lead at 9-7 but over the Monks responded with three goals of a 61 second span to take the 10-9 lead with 4:06 left in the quarter. Sophomore Brendan Martin (Nashua, N.H.) scored two straight both assisted by Shane Puleo (Nashua, N.H.) to even the score at 9-9 followed by a goal by Tyler Brewster (Merrimack, N.H.) to give St. Joe's the 10-9 cushion heading into the final frame.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Katon led all players with four goals on the afternoon and added an assist while Flanagan chipped in with five points on three goals and two assists.
• The Monks got three goals from senior Michael Finn (Quincy, Mass.) while Martin, Hamilton and Brewster all finished the afternoon with two scores while Martin and Hamilton also notched one assist each.
• Puleo dished out a game-high five assists in the Monks victory while senior Steve Gervasio (Johnston, R.I.) paced the Saints with three helpers in defeat.
• Sophomore Alex Osmanski (Abington, Mass.) and junior Shane Fors (Ledyard, Conn.) each picked up a game-high eight groundballs for the Monks while Emmanuel junior Connor Prangley (Nashua, N.H.) collected a team-best seven groundballs.

THE GOALIES

• Skinner earned the win for the Monks by making 11 saves on 22 shots on goal for a 50.0% save percentage and improves to 11-1 on the year in between the pipes.
• Emmanuel sophomore Aric Graves (Manchester, Conn.) made 15 saves and falls to 3-8 on the season.

OF NOTE

• Prior to the start of the game, the Emmanuel Athletic Department honored Gervasio, Katon and Hartig-Orr in a brief Senior Day ceremony.
  

UP NEXT

• The Saints are back in action on Wednesday, April 17 when they travel to Nashua, N.H. to take on Rivier University at 4:00 PM in an important GNAC showdown.
• Saint Joseph's returns to the field on Tuesday, April 16 when they host Lasell College at 6:00 PM in a battle of the two unbeaten GNAC squads.